





COWBOY LYRIGS 



ROBERT V. CARR 










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Cowboy Lyrics 



Digitized by the Internet Archive 
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Cowboy Lyrics 

Roundup Edition 



By 
Robert V. Carr 




Boston 

Small, Maynard & Company 

Publishers 






Copyright, 1908 
By Robert V. Carr 

Copyright, 1912 

By Small, Maynard & Company 

(Incorporated) 



Entered a.t Stationers^ Hall 



The University Press, Cambridge, U. S. A. 



"CI.A328559 
'Poo I 



To the Range Riders 



"HOW" 

T*D like to meet you anywhere^ 

Along the sunset trait; 
And roll loith you a cigareitef 
And hear a range-land tale* 
I'd like to hear you draivlin' speak 

That 'word that rhymes 'with coio. 
And tastes of sage and alkali — 
That little old^ord^'Hom)/' 

I'd like to sight you from a raise 

Upon the Big Divide; 
I bet I 'd kno-zu you from the <woy — 

The reckless ivay you ride, 
I bet I'd yell — Aiu, blame the luck I 

I'd gi've the 'world jes' no'zu. 
To hear the pound of hoofheats and 

That Uttle old 'word ''How/' 

Fer ''charmed, I'm sure," and soft hand- 
shake 

Of high society, 
Some'way, don't ne'ver git its rope 

Upon the heart o' me* 
I want to beat you on the back. 

In joyous, friendly ro<w. 
And call you names — / ^want to hear 

Thai little old word " How," 



AUTHOR'S NOTE 

T^HIS, the igi2 Roundup Edition, is the only 
complete, revised and authorized collec- 
tion of poems under the title of " Cowboy 
Lyrics " ever published. In 1908 the author 
distributed a gift edition of '* Cowboy Lyrics " 
among his friends in the western cattle 
country. That edition v/as printed solely for 
private circulation. The present edition con- 
tains a majority of the poems in the 1908 gift 
book, as w^ell as many new verses, and late 
poems reprinted from magazines. 

"When Cowboys Jest," " Cowboy Philos- 
ophy," "Love Lyrics of a Cowboy," " Love 
Lyrics of a Ranch Girl," and three of the 
shorter poems originally appeared in The 
Popular Magazine. 

"Land Hunger," "Cowboy in the City," 
"Maw's Rule," and "The Cattleman's 
Neighbor" first appeared in The Ne^w Story 
Magazine* 

" Voice of the Wolf " and " Lonely, Hunted 
Men " originally appeared in Sunset* 

The editors and publishers of the above- 
named magazines are hereby heartily thanked 
for the courtesies extended the author in this 
roundup of his strays. 

R. V. C. 

Los Angeles, California 
May 1, 1912 



CONTENTS 



RANCH AND RANGE Page 

Comin' to Town 3 

The Old^Cowboy's Song 4 

Bill Haller's Dance 7 

Waterloo of Poker Bills 10 

Unappreciated 14 

Saddling Up 16 

The Roundup Musician 18 

Night Guard Croon 20 

Good-By, Steer 21 

Broke 22 

The Would-Be Cowpuncher 23 

Springtime on the Range 24 

Lonesomeville 26 

Baldy Joe 28 

Bronco Buster Repartee 30 

Cowboy's Salvation Song 31 

The Commission Man 33 

The Roundup Cook 34 

The Paper Man 36 

Smell of Sage 38 

To a Pack Horse 40 

A Cowboy in the City 41 

A Cowboy Fatalist 44 

Tamed 46 

A Tribute to the Doctor 48 

The Cowboy and the Stork 49 

Ranch Lullaby 50 

Maw's Rule 51 

Little Feller 54 

The Widow's Lot 58 

70. 



CONTENTS 

Page 

Sleepin' Out 61 

Branding Pen Gossip 63 

Old-Timer 64 

Plannin' to Stay 65 

Mud and Miracles 66 

The Cattleman's Neighbor 67 

Land Hunger 69 

The Old Cowboy's Lament 71 

WHEN COWBOYS JEST 

Tenderfoot 75 

Enlightenment 76 

Nightmare 77 

Explanation 78 

Challenged 79 

Hopelessness 80 

Relief 81 

Suspicion 82 

Puzzlement 83 

Pork? 84 

Optimistic 85 

Learning 86 

Seasoned 87 

COWBOY PHILOSOPHY 

Education 91 

Worry 92 

Salvation 93 

Snobbery 94 

Yesterday 95 

ON THE TRAIL OF LOVE 

LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 

Helpless 101 

Weary 102 

"Dear" 103 

Humility 104 

Doubt 105 

Moonshine 106 

Range o' Dreams 107 

Idolatry 108 

Fame 109 

xii 



CONTENTS 

Page 

"Hoppy-Toad" 110 

Astronomy Ill 

Jealousy 112 

Reformation 113 

Telepathy 114 

"Maw" 115 

Sacred 116 

Sad 117 

Ignorance 118 

Sensitive 119 

Loneliness 120 

Gentleness 121 

Retrospection 122 

Loyalty 123 

Inconsistency 124 

Light o' Love 125 

Contentment 126 

Devotion 127 

Loco 128 

Paw 129 

June 130 

Puzzled 131 

Responsibility 132 

Congratulations 133 

RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 

Introduced 137 

"Strays" 138 

Indifference 139 

Dumbness 140 

Sweet 141 

Dreams 142 

Disappointment 143 

Trail Talk 144 

Pride 145 

Buggy Riding 146 

Evelyn 147 

Heart Song 148 

Bittersweet 149 

Grand! 150 

Paternal 151 

xiii 



CONTENTS 

Page 

Appreciation 152 

Daydreams 153 

Ghosts 154 

Day o' Days 155 

Words. . • 156 

Correspondence 157 

Engaged 158 

Confessional 159 

Antenuptial 160 

THE PRINCESS OF DESIRE 

The Princess of Desire 163 

THE HOMESTEADER 

Home 173 

Breaking 174 

After Thrashing 175 

The Children 176 

The Picnic 177 

The New House 178 

The Ditch-Digger 179 

Plantin' Time 180 

Plaint of the Hired Hand 182 

If She 'd a-Lived 184 

THE INDIAN 

The Western Trail 189 

Woman- W^ho- Wails 190 

Good Meat for All 191 

Children in the Sun 192 

The War Dance 193 

Onjinjintka 194 

SOMBER-LAND 

Winds of the West 201 

Flood Song 202 

Sagebrush 203 

The Buttes 204 

The Bad Lands 205 

Twilight on the Range 206 

xiv 



CONTENTS 

TRAIL'S END Page 

Dear Little Fire 209 

Cheyenne, Cheyenne 210 

At Wild Bill's Grave 211 

The Stampede 212 

The Spring Roundup 213 

In Passing 214 

A Cowboy to His Mother 215 

The Ranch House 217 

The Doom of the Weak 218 

Silhouette in Sepia 220 

Lonely, Hunted Men 221 

To a Rattlesnake 222 

Sweetheart-Pretty-Girl 223 

The Voice of the Wolf 224 

To a Buffalo Skull 225 

The Eternal Circle 226 

Trail's End 228 



XV 



RANCH AND RANGE 



RANCH AND RANGE 

COMIN' TO TOWN 

THE boys are comin' to town ! — IVhoop la! 
What does the marshal do? 
He 's gone and hid, that 's what he did, 

Fer he knows a thing or two. 
Fer he knows a thing or two, — Yip, yip I 
Fer he knows a thing or two. 

The boys are comin' to town! — Ker bang! 

What does the dogs all do? 
They hits the trail with a canine wail, 

Fer they know a thing or two. 
Fer they know a thing or two, — Ki yil 

Fer they know a thing or two. 

The boys are comin' to town ! — Oh, my I 

What does the old town do? 
She goes to bed while they paint her red, 

Fer she knows a thing or two. 
Fer she knows a thing or two, — Wow, wow I 

Fer she knows a thing or two. 
3 



THE OLD COWBOY'S SONG 

COME all you old cowpunchers. 
And listen to my song: 
A little cow-land ditty 
'Bout ninety verses long. 

And a-rum-Jum-doodlelum, 
A -doodle-dum-day. 

When but a child I leaves my home 

In dear old loway; 
There 's many things I did not know. 

As westward did I stray. 

I longed to be a cowboy bold 
And lope the range across. 

And wear a pair of goathair chaps. 
And tame an outlaw hoss. 

I thought I 'd like to pack a gun 
And shoot and rip and tear; 

And be so bad I 'd eat raw meat. 
Or cuff a grizzly bear. 

4 



THE OLD COWBOY'S SONG 

I got a job — now listen, boys, 

The foreman says to me: 
" Don't overwork ner strain yourself," 

Polite as he could be. 

But deep down in that foreman's eye 

I sees a queer light jig. 
As some cowpunch' says back of me, 

" Fer gosh sake, see that rig ! " 

I wears a gun, a knife, and spurs 

With bells on, let me say. 
Thinks I, " They will not know I come 

From dear old loway." 

Thinks I, " They will not know that I 

Am tender and ferlorn. 
And that a few months past I quit 

A job of huskin' corn." 

I will not sing the rest to you, 

'T would make the cold chills creep; 

'T would make you cry, and why should I 
E'er want to make you weep? 

I '11 only say I did not shoot, 

Ner snort and rip and tear; 
I did not eat no raw, red meat, 

Ner cuff a grizzly bear. 

5 



COWBOY LYRICS 

I only said, and whispered it, 

" I wish in loway, 
A-huskin' corn, I 'd known enough 

TiO settle down and stay." 

I thought a cowboy's life was free, 

And full of reckless vim; 
And no man ever dast to say 

A sassy word to him. 

I thought — my first night guard was due- 

I wakes up with a jerk. 
To right then find that punchin' cows 

Like huskin' corn was work- 

Right now I '11 up and finish 

My simple little song; 
So kindly pass the makin's., 

And let us lope along. 

IVith a-rum-dum-doodlelum, 
A -doodle-dum-day. 



BILL HALLER'S DANCE 

THEY 'RE tuniii' up the orchestray down 
at old Bill Haller's ; 
He 's the feller that they claim, jes' beats all 

the callers 
In the country 'round fer miles — old bow- 
legged feller; 
Say, you ought to hear that cuss jes' git up 
and beller: 

Balance all and do-see-do. 
Rope her, tie her, let her go; 
Mill her 'round and k^ss her there, 
Prom'nade all, you know where. 

Choose your partners! H-m-m-m! well, yes, 

grab the next one after, 
'T won't harm nothin' if you do shake the roof 

with laughter; 
Fer it 's joy-time, — Whoop-hi-ree ! Come 

around a-prancin' — 
'Cause there 's nothin' like the time down at 

Haller's dancin'. 
7 



COWBOY LYRICS 

She's your true love, you kin bet. 
There's no dead ones in that set I 
Lope her 'round and squeeze her there, 
Prom'nade all, you know where. 

Hear them fiddles! Hain't they great! Suf- 

f'rin' Land o' Lawdy! 
On the head set, show your style, come a-step- 

pin' gawdy. 
Come a-raggin' down the line, — Whoop-a- 

lorum! let her. 
Seems to me there 's nothin' that makes a man 

feel better. 

Mornin is a mile away. 
Never 'sped to hit the hay ; 
She's a-waitin — wake up there! 
Prom'rmde all, you know where. 

Hear old Haller, hear him now, all above the 

funnin', 
Jes' a-laughin', callin', too; keeps the thing 

a-runnin'. 
Round me up and turn me loose! Let me go 

a-prancin' ; 
All I want is jes' to yell down at Haller's 

dancin'. 

8 



BILL HALLER'S DANCE 

If you tove her tell her so. 
Rope her, brand her, let her go ; 
Round her up and hold her there, 
Prom'nade all, you know where. 



WATERLOO OF POKER BILLS 

OH, he hailed from the Hills, Black Hills, 
Black Hills, 
And he went by the name of Bills — just Bills. 
Of the head that is swelled without more 

words. 
We '11 say he 'd the same to throw to the birds ; 
He thought that of poker there was no turn 
That he had ever omitted to learn. 
For he 'd beat 'em all in the blue Black Hills, 
And he longed for gore, did Bills — did Bills. 

And so into Denver town went he 

With a ripe, round wad of currency 

In tens and twenties and the bigger kind; 

'T would make a national bank go blind. 

Or Croesus pale or the treasury 

Of Uncle Sam know misery. 

But Bills — just Bills, that was his name — 

Just simply said, " I want a game ; 

Is there a man around this camp 

Who knows a flush from a coal oil lamp? 

10 



WATERLOO OF POKER BILLS 

Come on, I 'm from the Hills — Black Hills, 
And my name in full is Poker Bills. 
And I 'm here to skin this coyote town 
Till you pull your freight or all throw down. 
My name is Bills — you 've heard of Bills, 
From the rocky caves of the rough Black 

Hills — 
And I'm here fer blood, red blood, red blood. 
And the man who plays me, his name is 

MUD." 

As he finished speaking, a sad-eyed chap. 

With a lip a-droop like a pocket flap. 

Stepped forward and said, said he: 

" I '11 go you if I lose, by gee ! " 

And he throwed a wad that made the chills 

Chase up the back of Old Man Bills. 



Well, they played and the sad-eyed duck 
Seemed loaded down with golden luck; 
But he handled the pasteboards awkwardly. 
Till a sandhill crane could plainly see 
He didn't know how, and Poker Bills 
Just smiled a bit as he drew for " fills." 
But, darn it all, the sad-eyed duck 
Held onto his dog-gone, blame-fool luck; 



COWBOY LYRICS 

And he horned Old Bills for all his pile. 
And he did it all in a quiet style, 
And sweet and kind and pleasantly, 
Till Bills had to grin, did he — did he. 

When Bills had soaked his coat and vest, 
His watch and chain and all the rest, 
He gave a gasp and he said, said he, 
" Say, Mister Man, who might you be? " 
" Oh, I hain't much," replied Sad-eyes, 
" And Lightnin' Lige is 'bout my size ; 
And this here is 
My chosen biz. 

And let me say, my Black Hills friend, 
Whichever way your tracks may wend. 
You'll find this statement mighty true — 
There 's always some one as smart as you ; 
There 's always some one whose head to yours 
Is like the sky to a scene indoors." 
And he shoved o'er a " V," did he — did he. 
That Bills might eat sub-se-quent-ly. 



12 



WATERLOO OF POKER BILLS 



L'ENVOI 

And Bills — Old Bills — Old Poker Bills — 
Returned in a box car to the Hills, 
With his mind made up that to play a game 
'T is always best to know the same. 
"To know it well," said Poker Bills, 
The champion of the whole Black Hills. 
" And not allow your mind to slack 
And think the world 's an easy pack. 
Or 'cause you skinned the home-folks that 
You can't git fried fer all your fat. 
Whene'er by chance you chesty roam 
Away from home, sweet home, sweet home." 



13 



UNAPPRECIATED 

T 'M the sweetest sort o' singer; 
^ But 'most ev'ry time I sing, 
Some sorehead starts a-yellin', 

" Who choked that calf — poor thing ! " 
And then the boys all leave me. 

And sadly drift along, 
When I throws loose my voice to sing 

This old familiar song: 

When once in my saddle I used to go rovin. 
When once in my sa-a-addle I used to go gay; 

I first took 'o drinkin' and then to card-playin — 
Got shot in the breast and am dyin to-day. 

I hates to see them punchers leave, 

I hates to hear 'em say, 
" Why don't some one go git a gun, 

And beef that suff'rin' jay?" 
I do not see why they act so. 

Or why they cuss so strong, 
When I let go all holts to sing 

This old familiar song: 
14 



UNAPPRECIATED 

Oh, beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly. 
And pla-a-ay the dead march as you bear me along; 

Take me to the graveyard and place the sod o'er me, 
Fer I'm a young cowboy and know I've done wrong. 



IS 



SADDLING UP 

•pEELIN' foxy, hain't you, hey? 
* Hump your back and scrinch, 
Actin' like as if you hain't 

Never seen a cinch. 
Here, now, Baldy, that 's no way 

Fer an old cow-hoss 
To cut up — why, blame your hide! 

Don't you know I 'm boss? 

Whoa there, Baldy, easy now! 

You old fool galoot! 
Stop your fussin' or I '11 throw 

Into you a boot. 
Quit your dancin' sideways, or 

I '11 dig into you ; 
Say, with this here waltzin' won't 

Ever you git thro'? 

Saddle 's on ; now, do your worst. 

You old leatherhead! 
Any other time you 'd act 

'Bout as if you 're dead. 

i6 



SADDLING UP 

One would never think that ten 
Years you have been born. 

By the way you dance around 
On a snappy morn. 



17 



THE ROUNDUP MUSICIAN 

TTTHEN Dutchy plays the mouth harp, 

V V ev'ry puncher gathers 'round 
To help on with the music by a-stompin' on 

the ground; 
And the cook, he throws a shuffle and the 

wrangler pats a hand, 
When Dutchy plays the mouth harp in a way 

to beat the band: 

Oh, my girl she has a turned-up nose, 
A tumed-up nose, a turned-up nose, 
Wella, wella, wella, I suppose 
That she can't help that tumed-up nose. 

When Dutchy plays the mouth harp and we 've 

cached our chuck away. 
And ev'ry one a-havin' fun and feelin' mighty 

gay, 
There 's nothin' we like better than to lend a 

helpin' hand. 
When Dutchy plays the mouth harp in a way 

to beat the band: 
i8 



THE ROUNDUP MUSICIAN 

Oh, my girl has got a pinto face, 
A pinto face, a pinto face, 
Wella, wella, wella, who did place 
Them freckles on her little face ? 

When Dutchy plays the mouth harp — say, 

"Turkey in the Straw," 
'T is then us old cowpunchers begin to snort 

and paw — 
Begin to swing and shuffle and pat a lively 

hand, 
When Dutchy plays the mouth harp in a way 

to beat the band: 

Oh, my girl she Wears a number nine, 
A number nine, a number nine, 
Wella, wella, wella, it's a sign 
Her understandin sure is fine. 



19 



NIGHT GUARD CROON 

Then an e-e-e—Iee—a-a-a, 
And an a-a-ah--he--oo— 
My little bedded doughies, 
I am a-a-a-watchin you. 

Drop you down and don't you go stampedin'. 
Coyote 's jes' a-foolin' over there ; 

Hain't a bit o' danger in his yippin' and his 
yappin', 
Show the prairie bluffer you don't care. 

Then an e-e-e--lee—a-a-a. 
And an a-a-ah—lee—oo 
My little bedded doughies, 
I am a-a-a-watchin' you. 



20 



GOOD-BY, STEER 

'T^HERE you go, a four-year-old 
^ Worth the fourth of a pound of gold; 
Big and heavy and wild as sin, 
The range will never see you ag'in. 
Tenderloin fer the dude who shirks. 
Neck and knuckles fer him who works; 
Good-by, steer, the bull-board 's down. 
And you're on your way to Packin'town. 

There you go, so long, old steer! 
You made us sweat to git you here; 
But loaded now with nineteen more, 
Your days of runnin' the range are o'er. 
Hide and taller, hoofs and horns, 
Nothin' of you the packer scorns; 
Good-by, steer, the bull-board 's down, 
And you 're on your way to Packin'town. 



21 



BROKE 

Tune: " Turkey in the Straw " 

T WENT to town and I blew my pay 
^ A-buckin' faro that-o'-way, 
And not fer once did I relent, 
Till Dealer had my last red cent. 

Cowboy in the town, 

A fool you he; 
You hain't the sense 

Of a locoed flea. 
You throw your coin — 

And that's no joke! 
You 've Worked all summer. 

And now you're broke. 

I went to town and I met a girl. 
With kiss-me eye and yeller curl; 
She let me buy her all in sight, 
Then, frostily, she said, "Good-night." 

I then rode back to the range next day, 
A sadder, poorer, wiser jay; 
Fer when you 're busted, it is true. 
The old town has no use fer you. 

22 



THE WOULD-BE COWPUNCHER 

TT 'S been out here a half a year, 
^ And thinks that It is bad ; 
But when we take a look at It, 
Our weary hearts feel sad. 

It wears a gun 'most all the time — 
What fer we do not know; 

We ask no questions lest we make 
Of ignorance a show. 

It used to be a saphead clerk 

Down in old loway. 
But now It is a ha-a-a-d cowpunch'. 

So we have heard It say. 

We often wonder if It is 

Of any earthly use. 
And set around and ask ourselves, 

" Whoever turned that loose ? '* 

It 's been out here a half a year. 
And thinks that It is bad; 

But when we take a look at It, 
Our weary hearts feel sad. 
23 



SPRINGTIME ON THE RANGE 



o 



H, it 's gittin' onto spring, and so let us 
up and sing 
Of the greenin' of the prairies in the sun, 
And the comin' of the birds and the fat'nin' 
of the herds — 
Start a-tunin' up your voices, ev'ry one. 



Oh, my! see the smilin sky- Winter's gittin ready fer 
to slide. 

Air's some warmer, — hain't it, say? 

Chinook, y^s, and breath o' May, 
And crocuses along the Big Divide. 

Soon a feller hears and sees blackbirds millin' 
in the trees. 
Soon the roses will be bloomin' fer the May. 
Oh, it 's comin' — don't you feel that it 's git- 
tin' time to peel 
All your winter ways and sort o' sweetly 
say: 

24 



SPRINGTIME 

Oh, my! see the smilin sku- Winter's gittin ready fer 
to slide. 

Air s some warmer, — hairi't it, say? 

Chinook, yes, and breath o' May, 
And crocuses along the Big Divide. 



25 



LONESOMEVILLE 

^T^HE gumbo runs down to the Little 
^ Mizzou, 

And the sage is there and the cacti, too; 
And Lonesomeville, as you 've heard before, 
Has six saloons and a general store. 
And a peaceful look rests ev'rywhere, 
With never a stir in the quiet air; 
The dogs lay out in the street and sun, 
And sleepiness hobbles ev'ry one; 
There 's nothin' doin' or movin' till 
We hits the trail fer Lonesomeville. 

Oh, we 're a-comin', old Lonesomeville, 
And we '11 hand to you a first-class thrill. 
Fer we sort o' guess you will come alive, 
When our yip-yips tell when we arrive; 
As we 've always heard that you like to see 
Most any one from the Flyin' V. 
So tie your bronk to the cribbed-up rail. 
When the lamps are lit and the fiddles wail; 
And spend her free while the fun is on, 
And hit the trail when your money 's gone. 
26 



LONESOMEVILLE 

We don't come often, but when we do. 
We figgers to sort o' convey to you 
Our high regard fer your means and ways 
Of pluckin' the fruit of our workin' days. 
Some shootin'? Yes; but jes' in play. 
Some yellin'? Sure; it is our way. 
But never a frown from that old town. 
Instead she winks like a circus clown. 
" Your ways are mine," is her welcome call, 
" Old Lonesomeville understands you-all." 



27 



BALDY JOE 

OH, I know an old cowpuncher, and they 
call him Baldy Joe, 
Because his hair is something that is absent, 

don't you know; 
And he sits up in the saddle, sort o' lives 

there all the time. 
And a-hummin' and a-hummin' this here 
simple little rhyme: 

There hain't no sense like a logic fer to sit, 

'Cause you think you hain't a-gettin what you think 

you ought to git. 
So it's quit your jawin, k^ep a tight rein on your lip. 
And brace yourself and always k^ep a-cinchin up your 

grip. 

Joe is a queerish critter, has a funny, cheerful 

grin; 
Never has a speck of trouble and you never, 

never kin 
Hear him kickin' or complainin', 'cause he 's 

happy all the time, 
Jes' a-hummin' this aforesaid and quite simple 
little rhyme: 

28 



BALDY JOE 

There hain't no sense lik,e a logie fer to sit, 

'Cause you think you hain't a-gettin what you think, 

you ought to git. 
So it's quit your jawin, ^eep a tight rein on your lip. 
And brace yourself and always ^eep a-cinchin up your 

grip. 



29 



BRONCO BUSTER REPARTEE 

^r^OU top-rail roosters think it fun 
■^ To set up there all safe, and run 
Your line of blab, and watch me take 
This here old coffin-head to break. 
" Thumb him ! " say you ; well, talk 's cheap 
From bluffers 'fraid to ride a sheep. 
Go on and josh! I notice you 
Gab muchly more than what you do. 

See that ! he 's quit his pitchin' ; he 
Has found that I his master be. 
To-morrow he will be that tame 
A kid kin ride him. Jes' the same, 
I don't see none of your loud set 
Who 's stuck to take my place jes' yet. 
You give advice, you cheap sports, you. 
And that 's 'bout all you ever do. 



30 



COWBOY'S SALVATION SONG 



OH, it 's move along, you doughies ! Don't 
be driftin' by the way, 
Fer there 's goin' to be a roundup and a cut- 

tin'-out, they say, 
Of all the devil's rangers, and a-movin' at 

sunrise. 
And you 'd better be preparin' fer a long drive 
to the skies. 



Oh, it 's move along, you doughies ! Don't be 

driftin' by the way, 
Fer the boss of all the rus'lers is a-comin' 

'round to-day; 
So you better be a-movin', throw your dust 

right in his eyes. 
And hit the trail a-flyin' fer the home ranch 

in the skies. 

Oh, it's move along, you doughies; fer the 

devil has in hand 
A bunch of red-hot irons, and he 's surely goin' 

to brand 

31 



COWBOY LYRICS 

All his cattle and some others, and mighty 

sudden, too; 
So you 'd better be a-movin', or he might be 

brandin' you. 

Oh, it 's move along, you doughies, tho' you 

have the mange o' sin. 
There 's a range you 're sure to shake it when 

you come a-trailin' in — 
Where the grass is always growin' and the 

water 's always pure ; 
So it 's sift along, you doughies, 'fore the devil 

brands you sure. 



32 



THE COMMISSION MAN 

A LWAYS happy, always bright, 
^^ Never changes, day or night; 
Always askin' 'bout the folks. 
Always knows the latest jokes. 
Entertains you and the wife — 
Shows and dinners — bet your life! 
Nothin' swifter ever ran 
Than that same commission man. 
Comes out West stock-meetin' time; 
Then the cuss is in his prime, 
Passin' out his line of talk 
To the shippers on the walk. 
Scatters watch-charm souvenirs; 
Claims that he kin sell your steers 
Fer more money than the rest; 
Swears his outfit is the best. 
Then, before you know it, he 
Makes you promise faithfully 
That you '11 ship to him next fall ; 
And, by Jup', you do — that 's all. 



33 



THE ROUNDUP COOK 

'T^HERE'S good cooks and there's bad 
^ ones — 

No harm in bein' frank; 
But, speakin' gener'ly, I '11 say, 

A roundup cook 's a crank. 
There 's something aggravatin' in 

The dealin' out of chuck. 
That makes a man not care fer jokes. 

And feel down on his luck. 

If you should think to doubt my word, 

Jes' go and sass a cook; 
And then fer some deep hole to hide. 

Go take a sudden look. 
While goin's good, you 'd better go 

Before the hash-knife falls. 
Before the boss of pots and pans 

Your frame in anger crawls. 

But yet we sort of like the cook. 
And love to hear him say: 

34 



THE ROUNDUP COOK 

" Oh, you 'd better come and git it, 
Or I '11 throw it all away ! " 

And to his face — tho', privately. 
We cuss him now and then — 

We brag upon his chuck and act 
Like perfect gentlemen. 



35 



THE PAPER MAN 

TTE has a press he jerks by hand, 
•^ ^ And Fridays he will take his stand 
And let a kid roll on the ink 
To grease the type, and then he '11 think 
It 's time to take a smoke, by jing ! 
And then he '11 stop and leave the thing 
And grab a corncob from somewhere, 
And, with his feet up in the air. 
He '11 say: " Well, boys, how 's stock and feed? 
A little snow is what we need. 
Much sickness out your way these times? 
I hear Miss Jones wed Billy Grimes; 
I let their notice front page take — 
They sent me chunk of weddin' cake. 
And poor old Cribs, he upped and died; 
His 'bituary bucked and pied. 
But then I set it up ag'in, 
A-speakin' of the home he '11 win 
And all the virtues that he had, 
Fergettin' nothin' but the bad. 
You want some papers? Sure, you bet! 
Jes' help yourself — they 're fresh and wet. 
36 



THE PAPER MAN 

No, takin' money is a bribe. 

Unless you figgers to — subscribe. 

Oh, many thanks! I always do 

Take honest joy in seein' you." 

And then we leaves and looks back at 

The paper man a- jerkin' that 

Old press, and singin', clear and high, 

"We'll all be angels, by-and-by." 



Z^ 



SMELL OF SAGE 

I^H, the old red sun is risin' and the air 
^^ is clean and fine. 

With jes' a little chill that tingles thro', 
And starts your thoughts to millin' that the 
fire of the cook 
Was made jes' sort o' specially fer you. 
But what jes' makes me glad I simply am 
alive. 
My very heart with kindness sweet adornin*, 
Is that keen and bracin' scent that drifts 
across the flats — 
The smell of the sagebrush in the mornin'. 

Have traveled many trails in this camp you 
call the world. 
And lived a life as rough as rough could be ; 
Am jes' a plain old puncher with all a 
puncher's faults. 
But still there 's things that always come to 
me 

38 



SMELL OF SAGE 

At that there time o' wakin' ; they be thoughts 
so sweet and fine. 
Which no artist or no poet could go scornin', 
When I catch that keen, clean scent that drifts 
across the flats — 
The smell of the sagebrush in the mornin'. 

When I cross the Great Divide, and my outfit 
will no more 
See me around its wagons and its fires, 
I jes' would like to say 'fore I ups and drifts 
away. 
There 's simply jes' one thing my heart 
desires : 
Put me where the sun comes up, to ride the 
western range. 
And all the land with gladness fine adornin'. 
So my ghost kin sort o' come and sniff that 
sweet perfume — 
The smell of the sagebrush in the mornin'. 



39 



TO A PACK HORSE 

SUN hain't up and grass still wet. 
Ghost-like moon a-ling'rin' yet; 
Birds a-wak'nin' one by one, 
Bacon fried and coffee done. 
Bed rolled up — well, I declare ! 
What you think you 're doin' there? 
Say, old hoss, let me inquire. 
Why you 're nosin' 'round my fire? 
Huh, he nickers, without fail, 
"Hain't it time to hit the trail?" 

Some folks have the nerve to say 
That a pack hoss, that-o'-way. 
Hain't no soul, but I don't know 
Whether that idee is so. 
Seems that plug 's 'most human when 
He gits restless now and then; 
And to show his heart's desire. 
Comes a-nosin' 'round my fire; 
When he nickers, without fail, 
" Hain't it time to hit the trail? " 
40 



A COWBOY IN THE CITY 

T 'VE been to a dozen theaters 

^ And a bunch of vaudyville shows. 

Till gags and their beanhead creaters 

Make me weary clear to my toes. 
I 've seen Signor Punk, from Vianner, 

Go loco and tear out his hair. 
Then jump on a helpless planner 

And beat it to death then and there. 

But still I am homesick and weary; 

The city somehow hits me wrong, 
Its music seems holler and dreary, 

Fer I 'd rather hear that old song : 
"Bury me not on the lone prairie" — 

'T would sure give my f eelin's a change ; 
Fer, dog-gone the luck! I always was stuck 

On the songs that we sing on the range. 

I 've ate of the grub allycarty 

In ev'ry cafay in the town; 
And, bein' infernally hearty, 

I manage to jes' choke it down. 

41 



COWBOY LYRICS 

But still, there I set, a lean stranger, 
A-yearnin' fer one friendly face; 

To speak to a soul would mean danger 
Of gittin' run out of the place. 

Back home I would talk to my neighbor, 

No matter if never before 
I 'd met him, and surely would labor 

To jes' git acquainted and more. 
Out West you kin gab free and easy. 

And strangers their views may exchange. 
Why, dog-gone the luck! I always was stuck 

On the whole-hearted ways of the range. 

Seems to me that this elevation 

Of buildin's a mile or two high 
Don't fit in my scheme of creation 

I wants to see some of the sky. 
I 'd like to right now be securin' 

A genuwine sniff of the sage; 
Besides, I may say, I 'm endurin' 

A reg'lar old heart-gnawin' rage. 

I hate all the crowdin' and crushin', 
I hate the cold smirk of the chap 

That grabs fer my coin while he 's rushin' — 
Gawd knows where he 's rushin', poor yap ! 

42 



A COWBOY IN THE CITY 

So I 've gone and staked out a ticket ; 

The sagebrush fer me fer a change! 
Fer, dog-gone the luck! I always was stuck 

On the way that we live on the range. 



43 



A COWBOY FATALIST 

^^H, I don't care if it rains or shines, 
^^ Or if it melts or snows; 
I 've no regard fer weather signs. 

Or what the old wind blows. 
Fer I don't want to even think 

Or care which way I 'm bound. 
But jes' keep a-smilin' and lettin' things slide, 

And keep on a-millin' around. 

Oh, I don't care if the whole works quit. 

Or what bunch moves ahead; 
Or what we 're goin' to do or git 

When gone fer keeps and dead. 
Fer I don't want to even think 

Or care which way I 'm bound. 
But jes' keep a-smilin' and lettin' things slide. 

And keep on a-millin' around. 

Oh, I don't care what other folks say. 

Or what in me they sees; 
Fer each man 's free to think his way 

And do as he dern please. 

44 



A COWBOY FATALIST 

Fer I don't want to even think 
Or care which way I 'm bound, 

But jes' keep a-smilin' and lettin' things slide. 
And keep on a-millin' around. 



45 



TAMED 

JIM SHIVERS was the baddest man in the 
camp, b'jingo; 
Not a feller dast to give him a bit of lingo. 
Up and shoot? Well, I should say! And he 

never tarried 
In his reckulous career till he went and 

married. 
Now when Jim do say a word or does a bit 

of tellin'. 
Or gits his old-time dander up and has a fit 

of yellin'. 
His wife jes' says : " You great big clown ! 
You jes' shut up and you jes' set down!" 
And Jim does both. 

He 's meek as any lamb you 'd see, meekest 

sort o' critter; 
Any boy around the camp run him to a 

fritter ; 
Never has a word to say, never does no 

gunnin', 
Any shootin' goin' on, all he does is runnin' ; 
46 



TAMED 

Jes' because he 's got a wife not a-scared to 

cross him, 
And 'twould do you good to see that there 

woman boss him. 
And hear her say : " You great big clown ! 
You jes' shut up and you jes' set down ! " 
And Jim does both. 



47 



A TRIBUTE TO THE DOCTOR 



OH, here 's to the Doc, the good old Doc, 
And the things he has done fer us. 
And the miles he has rode thro' the winter 
storms, 
'Thout makin' a bit of fuss. 



And here 's to the Doc who worked and 
watched 
When he knew that old Death was near, 
And the long, long nights and the sleep that 
he lost. 
And the way he calmed our fear. 

Oh, here *s to the Doc that stayed by us. 
And we 'd like fer to shake his hand, 

Fer the sake of them days — oh, them early 
days. 
That none but us understand. 



48 



THE COWBOY AND THE STORK 

T3ILL MUNSON'S wife was sick, you see; 

•■-^ Old Bill, he says that night to me: 

" Go git a doctor on the run ! " 

And then I grabs that muckle-dun 

Outlaw and jams him forty mile; 

And then I gits a gray a while. 

And leaves him at the Lazy T, 

A-thinkin' some mean thoughts of me. 

And then I gits a roan, and he 

Was jes' a hoss I loves to see; 

He jes' strings out and drags it down. 

And soon we 're siftin' into town. 

The Doc drives back; and now old Bill 

T'other day gives me a thrill — 

The blamed old cuss, he did, ho wheel 

He names that kidlet after me! 



49 



RANCH LULLABY 

TQABY, won't you go to sleep? 

^^ The dark is on and your paw 's gone ; 

Honeylove, go to sleep. 

Baby, Baby, what would you do. 

If a coyote jes' stoled you ? 
Dearie, won't you go to sleep? 

Baby, won't you go to sleep? 

The pines do sing like ev'rything; 
Honeylove, go to sleep. 

Baby, Baby, jes* fly away 

Into Dreamland's shinin' day. 
Dearie, won't you go to sleep? 

Baby, won't you go to sleep? 

Ride to rest on your maw's breast; 
Honeylove, go to sleep. 

Baby, Baby, your little hands 

Wave the trail to Sleepylands. 
Dearie, won't you go to sleep? 



SO 



MAW'S RULE 

1% yr AW don't care a heap 'bout dress, 

^ '^ Tho' she says, " I must confess. 

My black silk is jes' wore thin, 

Takin' all the fun'rals in. 

Still, it hain't the clothes that make 

People decent, and, land sake! 

I don't care 'bout what I wear. 

So it 's clean, and, I declare ! 

What would any woman do 

On a ranch with over two 

Hats or dresses? Tell me now! 

Jes' plum' silly, you '11 allow, 

Fer a woman of my age, 

Fer to grab a fashion page. 

And go crazy o'er a lot 

Of fine things she has not got." 

And to that idee she sticks — 

Maw come West in Seventy-six. 

Maw kin take some scraps and make 
Puddin's, pies, and angel cake; 
51 



COWBOY LYRICS 

And the country 'round fer miles 
Simply swallers and jes' smiles. 
When we give a dance, and they 
Always like to come and stay; 
Fer they know that they will git 
Truck to eat that sure is fit. 
Kin she cook? I hope to die. 
If she can't, and right now I 
Will refer you to the stuff 
She cans up; then, like enough. 
You '11 begin to understand 
Why no woman's in the land. 
Or the country anywhere. 
With her cookin' kin compare. 
Always knows jes' what to fix — 
Maw come West in Seventy-six. 

In sickness Maw 's a bright light. 
Ride fer miles to set all night 
By some neighbor's kid, fer she 
Jes' the soul of goodness be. 
Tho' she works, her hand 's somehow 
Cool and soothin' on the brow 
Of a sick one, and they tell. 
That her smile jes* makes 'em well. 
Got a way, the punchers say, 
That would make you want to stay 
52 



MAW'S RULE 

Sick ferever, if she would 
Come and nurse you in her good 
Old-fashioned style; so you see 
Why they all love Maw, by gee! 
Man or child or any one 
She will help ; and, oh, she 's done 
Such a scad of angel tricks ! — 
Maw come West in Seventy-six. 

Women's rights? Oh, hum, well. Maw 
Always says : " I never saw 
Any rights I have not got; 
If there be, as like as not 
All the good they 'd do to me, 
You could saddle on a flea. 
If I want some man to git 
Into office, I jes' sit 
Right square-down and jes' say so, 
Then my menfolks up and go 
And vote fer him; so you see, 
Suffrage hain't much use to me." 
Maw runs things, of course, and why? 
'Cause we love her, and you try 
Fer to beat that kind o' rule. 
And you 're sev'ral times a fool. 
Fer her home 's her politics — 
Maw come West in Seventy-six. 
53 



LITTLE FELLER 



T ITTLE FELLER, do you know 
^"^ That your daddy loves you so 
That if harm should come to you, 
If they closed them eyes o' blue. 
If I heard your steps no more, 
Makin' music on the floor. 
Guess I 'd want 'em take me, too, 
Right along, my boy, with you. 

That 's the way your daddy feels ; 
Nothin' like it e'er appeals 
To his heart and makes it ache, 
When he thinks some one might take 
You, my lad, up there-away. 
Where the time is always day; 
And, I thinks, if that 's to be, 
They jes' simply must take me. 

Little Feller, come here now. 
Tell your daddy when and how 

54 



LITTLE FELLER 

That they give to you, my boy. 
Secrets of jes' makin' joy. 
Huh! you wanter kiss your dad? 
Say, you 're gittin' quite a lad ; 
'Spects some day you '11 be like Paw. 
Now skip out and kiss your maw. 

II 

He 's his pappy's boy, you bet ! 
Never seen a youngun yet 
That could beat that little cuss; 
Land o' Lawdy! What a fuss! 
Playin' boss and prancin' 'round, 
Rollin', kickin' on the ground. 
Say, young feller, seems to me 
That you 're gittin' rollicky ; 
Guess been better if you had 
Been a little less like Dad. 

Says he wants a buckin' boss. 
And a cow outfit to boss; 
Says he wants a six-gun, too; 
Don't know what I 'm goin' to do 
If that boy keeps that-o'-way; 
Tho', I swear, I '11 have to say 
That there youngun on the ground 
Jes' makes Pappy stand around. 
55 



COWBOY LYRICS 

'Cause he 's all I ever had. 
And exactly like his dad. 



Ill 

Little Feller 's gone, I know. 
Yet it seems to me as tho' 
I kin hear him callin' clear 
Fer his daddy to come here, 
Jes' to see the house he 's built 
Out of Mammy's crazy-quilt. 
Little Feller's gone, I know. 
Went about a year ago; 
Yet it seems I can't ferget, 
Fer I feel his kisses yet. 
Hear his voice a-tellin' glad 
How he 's lovin' of his dad ; 
See him playin' hoss ag'in, 
'Round the house and out and in. 
Little Feller 's gone, I know. 
All the minutes tell me so; 
Tho' sometimes I think, and smile. 
He 's a-vis'tin' fer a while — 
Jes' a-vis'tin' in the sky. 
To be with us by-and-by. 
Then his mammy sees my eyes. 
And she goes — away — and — cries. 
56 



LITTLE FELLER 

And, to tell the truth, I do 
Wish that I might jes' cry, too. 
Little Feller 's gone, I know, 
Where we hope some day to go, 
Me and Mammy — heart-broke pair 
And find Little Feller there. 



57 



THE WIDOW'S LOT 

1% yriS' PIKE jes' called — the first time fer 

^ '^ A month of Sundays I 'd seen her. 

She took on scan'lous about me 

A-livin' here alone, and she 

Jes' upped and said a ranch was not 

A place fer widders; and she sot 

And harped on that one string till I 

Jes' shut her mouth with tea and pie. 

Poor William 's dead nigh on a year. 
But I can't say I 'm pinin' here ; 
And, law me ! what 's a soul to do 
What's goin' onto forty-two? 
A real live man — who kin deny? — 
Around a ranch is handy. My! 
Jack Plummer says to me last night — 
He jes' stopped in to git a bite 
Of chicken pie — he says, says he: 
" You 're not a day past twenty-three." 
But Jack is such a josher that 
He 's always talkin' thro' his hat. 
58 



THE WIDOW'S LOT 

The other day Bill Howe drove by, 
And said the cricks were jes' bank-high 
And he 'd a four-hoss load, and he 
Declared he'd leave some truck with me: 
A sack o' flour and some corn, 
A sack o' sugar which was torn. 
Which Bill jes' vowed would go to waste 
Unless weets things were to my taste. 

A week ago John Nye drove in — 

His heart is big if he is thin. 

He said he 'd butchered and he thought 

A side o' beef and bacon ought 

To nohow meet with my refuse. 

Since he had more than he could use. 

And there 's Hank Dalley, ev'ry day 
He sort o' drops in that-o'-way. 
To see if there 's a chore to do. 
And then jes' stays the whole day thro'. 
And jes' flares up when I talk " pay " ; 
Fer Hank 's right touchy, and he '11 say : 
" I have n't got a thing to do, 
It 's exercise to work fer you." 

And so between them all, you see, 
There 's lots that 's worser off than me ; 

59 



COWBOY LYRICS 

The ranch is clear, and eggs . and truck 
Bring prices high, and then I 've luck 
With all my stock, that 's bound to grow - 
But yet there 's one thing which I know, 
And might as well say to your face, 
A man's most handy 'round a place. 
Poor William 's gone and there 's no more ■ 
Land sakes ! There 's Dalley at the door ! 



60 



SLEEPIN' OUT 

ONCE let a feller git in tune 
With all outdoors, there hain't no use 
Fer him to think he kin ferget. 

Or from the wild's big ways jar loose. 
He 's always thinkin' 'bout them nights — 

Jes' listen now, and hear him sigh, 
A-dreamin' of an old tarp bed. 
And sleepin' out beneath the sky. 

There hain't no bunk in any house, 

That to the warm earth kin compare; 
She 's sort o' kind and comfortin'. 

And gives you strength as you lie there. 
And then, besides, you gulp all night 

The clean, sweet air; and in the morn 
There hain't a doubt or fear but what 

Your rested soul jes' laughs to scorn. 

Go take your little, stuffy room, 
Your four walls that corral you in; 

Pull down the curtain, then git up 
Chuckful o' meanness, and begin 
6i 



COWBOY LYRICS 

The day with grouch and grunt and groan; 

Be civilized and right in style; 
While them who rest beneath the stars 

Rise with a whoop, and smile and smile. 



62 



BRANDING PEN GOSSIP 

T EM SCOBEY says to me one time, 

^-^ " I would n't give a half a dime 

Fer any man what throws a calf. 

And gives that braggin' sort o' laugh, 

As if he thought there ought to rest 

A leather medal on his breast, 

Because he 's got more strength than brains ; 

Such swellhead dubs fill me with pains." 

Lem says, " I love a good cowpunch'. 
What does his work and does not lunch 
On his conceit 'most all the while 
He 's showin' off his muscle's style. 

" At any rate," Lem adds to me. 
As we grabs one, " there ought to be 
A law to keep such sort o' men 
From wras'lin' in a brandin' pen. 
I 'd like to see such chesties fired. 
They surely make me mighty tired." 



63 



OLD-TIMER 

I'M not so young as I used to be, 
I 'm somewhat gray and wrinkledy ; 
And I wear my hat — my old white hat — 
On the back of my neck on a roll o' fat. 
And I don't ride much like I used to, tho' 
I 'm not so dog-goned gumbo-slow 
When it comes to bronks, but yet I '11 say, 
A buggy fer mine 'most any day. 

But my heart is young — oh, my heart is young, 
And she sings the songs like she always sung: 
Dealin fair and dealin square, 
A ndjindin ' friendship ev 'ry where ; 
And never a fear does she let slide 
Fer the day when I'll cross the Great Divide. 

Old pards are gone — no use to care. 
They 've rode the trail to Overthere ; 
But I '11 see 'em ag'in, well, I should shout ! 
To jes' shake hands fer all-git-out! 
I 've no regrets, and that 's no lie, 
A white man 's never afraid to die ; 
Old age and death have got to be. 
And, by the gods, they don't scare me I 



PLANNIN' TO STAY 

" QJTARTED plowin'? " " Yep," says he, 

^*^ Short and surly as could be. 
"Fencin'?" "Yep!" And then I said, 
" Neighbor, tell me, on the dead. 
Be you plannin' this-away 
Fer to fix up here and stay?" 
Then he jumps up in the air 
From a busted-legged chair. 
And he leads me round and back 
Of his twelve-by-sixteen shack. 
And he lets my optics run 
On some breakin' he had done. 
" First o' mine I ever trod. 
Great raw chunk o' prairie sod; 
Land is land, I 'm here to say. 
And I cal-cu-lates to stay." 
So I leaves him settin' there 
In his busted-legged chair 
Front his shack, and in the door 
Tousled younguns, three or four. 
Stared at me and at my chaps. 
Till their ma's reprovin' slaps 
Makes 'em dodge; and he, well, he 
Never said good-by to me. 
65 



MUD AND MIRACLES 

WAS ridin' down a-past his place, 
And then I thinks I '11 'low 
To sort o' pass the time o' day 
And speak a friendly, " How ! " 

He 's mussin' 'round there in the mud, 

A little dam he 's got ; 
He 'lows to make a cacti flat 

Into a garden spot. 

I says to him, " The land 's no good ; 

Fer farmin' she don't win." 
But all he does is slop around 

And kind o' funny grin. 

I says, " The land 's jes' useful fer 
Some cows to raise and range " ; 

But he jes' grins and hollers back, 
" There 's goin' to be a change." 

He 's mussin' 'round there in the mud, 

A little dam he 's got ; 
He 'lows to make a cacti flat 

Into a garden spot. 

66 



THE CATTLEMAN'S NEIGHBOR 

T^ER twenty year I 've bached it here, 
^ Good range and water, and no near 
By neighbors, till I sees one day 
Some fool sod-pounder that-o'-way 
Had went and slapped a homestead on 
My best hay ground, and even gone 
And fenced the crick, that '§ what he 'd done, 
Fenced my crick, the son-of-a-gun ! 
Jes' see him once, not much I care, 
I jes' stay here and he stays there; 
Of friendship we don't make no sign. 
He goes his way and I go mine. 
Then, saddlin' up, one day I hear 
A woman callin', sweet and clear. 
There hain't a girl in miles o' me. 
What does she want, who kin she be? 
" Yes, ma'am, I owns this ranch — nice day — 
A-huh — a-hem — what 's that you say? " 
By Jakes! she was the settler what 
Had gone and filed on my hay plot! 
" Brother helps me, and," says she, 
"Why don't you act more neighborly?'* 
67 



COWBOY LYRICS 

And then I looks at her a while 
And, 'fore I knows it, starts to smile, 
A-thinkin' stranger things come true 
Than bach in love, age forty-two. 
You come right in, unhitch, don't go. 
She 's gittin' supper ; f er, you know, 
She filed one claim and then, by gee! 
The preacher helps her locate me. 



68 



LAND HUNGER 

" IT'S a cold-blooded fad," said the cowman. 

As he looked o'er the fence-cluttered range ; 
"Them black-papered shacks of them blamed hunny- 
yacks, 
Jes' show how a country k^n change. 

" Not that I am sore," said the cowman, 
" At the way the newcomers treat me ; 

But I don't understand why they think that 
jes' land 
Is all that they need to be free. 

" They 've even took claims on the gumbo. 
And they '11 stick up a shack on a flat — 

A bare flat that won't raise enough grass fer 
to graze 
A doughie the size of a cat. 

" With dogs and their kids they are comin', 
Ev'ry train that pulls in brings a band; 

And I never did see such a layout, by gee! 
So crazy and hungry fer land! 
69 



COWBOY LYRICS 

" One day I jes' throws 'em a question, 
As they borrows some grub off of me: 

' I would ask, if I may, be you plannin' to 
stay? ' 
They answer : * You bet that we be ! ' 

" They further says : ' We wants the f eelin', 
All the lack o' which you 've never known, 

That is ours when we stand on no matter 
what land, 
Jes' so we kin call it our own.' 

"But still I must say," said the cowman. 
As he looked o'er the fence-cluttered range, 

"Them black-papered shacks of them blamed hunny- 
yacks 
Jes' show how a country ^j'n change." 



70 



THE OLD COWBOY'S LAMENT 

'T^HE range 's filled up with farmers and 
^ there 's fences ev'rywhere, 
A painted house 'most ev'ry quarter mile; 
They 're raisin' blooded cattle and plantin' 
sorted seed, 
And puttin' on a painful lot o' style. 

There hain't no grass to speak of and the 
water holes are gone, 
The wire of the farmer holds 'em tight; 
There 's little use to law 'em and little use 
to kick, 
And mighty sight less use there is to fight. 

There 's them coughin' separaters and their 
dirty, dusty crews. 
And wagons runnin' over with the grain; 
With smoke a-driftin' upward and writin' on 
the air, 
A story that to me is mighty plain. 
71 



COWBOY LYRICS 

The wolves have left the country and the 

long-horns are no more, 

And all the game worth shootin' at is gone ; 

And it 's time f er me to f oiler, 'cause I 'm 

only in the way. 

And I 've got to be a-movin' — movin' on. 



72 



When Cowboys Jest 



When Cowboys Jest 
I 

TENDERFOOT 

T RODE a horse to-day and wore 
■^ My nice, new puttees, and I bore 
Myself with dignity the while — 
But, lo, these whisp'ring cowboys s'mile 
And close their eyes in grotesque winks; 
A coarse, uncultured lot, methinks. 
That cannot understand this fine 
Yet somewhat shrinking soul of mine. 
Crude creatures of a plane below. 
They do not know — they do not know. 



75 



COWBOY LYRICS 



II 

ENLIGHTENMENT 

It seems the horse they furnished me 

Was rawther rude; I could not see 

Just what annoyed the brute, for he 

Gave one long leap and shook me free; 

And I descended to the earth 

'Mid cruel shouts of ribald mirth. 

" You cussed that bronk," the cowboys said, 

" That 's why he dumped you o'er his head ; 

Old Spot 's respectable and he 

Won't stand fer no profanity." 



76 



WHEN COWBOYS JEST 



III 

NIGHTMARE 

Last night from slumber I was torn 

With fiendish yells, and there was borne 

Unto my ears — tho' scarce awake — 

The fearful cry of " Rattlesnake f " 

I heard a buzzing in my bed — 

I must admit I rose and fled 

For miles across the prairie vast, 

In nightie clad, my soul aghast. 

And yet, from what they said, 't would seem 

'Twas simply just a frightful dream. 



77 



COWBOY LYRICS 



IV 

EXPLANATION 

" This idee of a snake," they said, 

" Or serpent in your downy bed. 

Was jes' a dream ; you should n't let 

A dream make you win ev'ry bet 

'T was ever made fer speed, tho' you 

Did not run much — you simply flew. 

Come back to camp and let sweet peace 

Reign once ag'in, and we '11 release 

His Snakeship from his gunny sack'" 

And then they laughed and slapped my back. 



78 



WHEN COWBOYS JEST 



V 
CHALLENGED 

The strangest thing! It seems that I 
Am doomed in this drear place to die; 
For just to-day a Mister " Bud " 
Exclaimed to me : " I want your blood ! 
Go git a gun, fer it is true 
I 'm due to sieve the hide o' you ! " 
He would not tell me what I 'd done ; 
He simply bawled : " Go git a gun ! " 
He seemed wrought up and angry, too, 
I hardly know just what to do. 



79 



COWBOY LYRICS 



VI 
HOPELESSNESS 

Bartender, tell me now, I pray, 

What have I done, what did I say. 

To make this Mister " Bud " so fierce 

He fain with lead my skin would pierce? 

" That 's easy," the bartender cried, 

" Last night you 're drunk and when aside 

You Bud steps up, you simply goes 

The limit and — you pulls his nose. " 

And then he added with a leer: 

" Your name, my friend, is Mud, I fear." 



80 



i 



WHEN COWBOYS JEST 



VII 

RELIEF 

Thank goodness! It is over, and 

I am alive! He shook my hand. 

This Mister " Bud," and said to me : 

" I honor your apology. 

'T was jes' in time — in time to save 

You from a lonely, unmarked grave. 

A second later and I would 

Have surely beefed you where you stood. 

Barkeep," he cried — but why that wink? — 

" Set out your best — let's have a drink." 



81 



COWBOY LYRICS 



VIII 
SUSPICION 

'T was yesterday they asked if I 

Would seek the " Flying V " and try 

To borrow some " steergoggles." Why? 

" Well, now, you see," they said, " it 's dry, 

And grass so short the cattle need 

Eyeglasses fer to see to feed; 

They loses flesh and sometimes die 

If in that way they strain a eye." 

Yet in my heart a feeling strong 

Did seem to hint of something wrong. 



82 



WHEN COWBOYS JEST 



IX 

PUZZLEMENT 

The " Flying V " I quickly found 

In leisure poses on the ground; 

But when my wants to them were known 

Each man arose and gave a groan. 

Then one replied : " I hate to say 

We used our last steerspecs to-day; 

We has a dozen earmarks left, 

But of steerspecs we 're plum' bereft." 

Then laughter coarse his voice did choke; 

I rode away. H'm, what's the joke? 



83 



COWBOY LYRICS 



X 

PORK? 

To-day at dinner some one said: 

"This pork 's heap finer than corn-fed." 

Another looked up from his plate, 

"That hedgehog sure was fat — " Faugh! 

Wait! 
No more for me! I sought the creek, 
And there I pondered, sick and weak. 
" Come back," I heard the demons call, 
" Come back, or we will eat it all ! " 
" Hedgehog ! " I gasped. Two bites I took — 
I'll only live to kill that cook! 



84 



WHEN COWBOYS JEST 



XI 

OPTIMISTIC 

I 've been out West three months and yet 

I am not homesick. I have met 

A lot of fellows clean and strong; 

And somehow in my heart I long 

To be like them. Of course, they 've played 

Odd tricks on me and often made 

Me look quite cheap, but yet I feel 

Down deep they 're true and fine as steel. 

Just now their wise words come to me: 

" We like you or we 'd let you be. " 



8S 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XII 

LEARNING 

It seems these cowboys have a way 
Of mixing their rough work with play. 
Last night I danced on joyous feet 
With ranch girls buxom, fair, and sweet; 
Forgot myself and just joined in 
The frolic and the gladsome din. 
And every one was kind to me, 
And warm and friendly as could be. 
Yes, it takes time to understand 
The people of this strange, wild land. 



86 



WHEN COWBOYS JEST 



ZIII 
SEASONED 

I saw It leave the stage to-day — 
A tenderfoot. Well, I must say, 
I do not blame the boys much now 
For what they did to me. I vow 
This nice, new thing some points to give. 
And, maybe, then I '11 let It live. 
Bah! Soft, white face and fat conceit. 
Just thinks Its knowledge is complete. 
Look at those clothes, the little hat — 
Say, on the square, was I like that? 



87 



Cowboy Philosophy 



Cowboy Philosophy 



EDUCATION 

J. HUMPHREY JONES he went to school, 
And throwed his rope on ev'ry rule 
Of outlaw words. J. Humphrey took 
The insides of a Latin book 
And ate 'em raw, but now he is 
Purveyor to the human phiz; 
He waits on folks, and I, who spell 
Words as they sound, and cannot tell 
A comma from a quart o' rye, 
Sit down with J. H. standin' nigh, 
And eat my grub, and lastly slip 
The educated one a tip; 
Fer, while a-learnin' things he be, 
I went and did 'em, don't you see? 



91 



COWBOY LYRICS 



II 
WORRY 

To worry is to show your hand 

To ev'ry feller in the land; 

To worry is to let folks know 

You think you hain't a fightin' show. 

You can't win fame, or even pelf. 

Unless you sort o' bluff yourself 

Into believin' that you be 

Plum' failure-proof, and then, by gee! 

You want to size things up correct, 

Jes' as they be, and don't select 

A pile o' dirt, where gophers sit. 

And make a mountain out o' it. 

And don't ferget this sayin' true. 

There 's millions more worse off than you. 



92 



COWBOY PHILOSOPHY 



III 

SALVATION 

Salvation never roped me yet. 
Because my mind is sort o' set, 
Ag'in' the idee that some jay 
Thro' paradise has right o' way; 
Or, bein' pure, he '11 git Saint Pete 
To give poor me harp, wings and seat. 
I play my own game as I please — 
To win or lose; I never sees 
No man so good but what he could 
Improve hisself, if he jes' would 
Devote his spare time to his own 
Pertic'ler faults, and leave mine 'lone. 
I need no one to help me guess, 
I pay fer all my orn'ryness. 



93 



COWBOY LYRICS 



IV 

SNOBBERY 

The snobbish gobbler has his day, 

He struts and paws in his fool way; 

He 's great on front, ace-high on looks. 

But weak on common sense; he crooks 

A limber back to them he thinks 

Lead on the herd, and then he blinks 

A chilly eye at common scrubs. 

And names 'em coarse, ill-mannered dubs. 

He does not know the scrubs have got 

His brand and range, and, like as not, 

They pity him, and let him be. 

This trailer of society. 

Fer common silver pure will git 

More things than gold that 's counterfeit. 



94 



COWBOY PHILOSOPHY 



YESTERDAY 

Old Yesterday hain't no more use 
Than rubber boots be to a goose; 
So saddle up and ride away 
From that there worthless Yesterday. 
Hook your spurs in the Bronk o' Hope, 
And hit a high and swingin' lope 
Across the Range-o'-things-that-are, 
And leave that Old Past so blamed far 
Behind that you can't even view 
It thro' a glass, if you want to. 
Your failures — shucks! ferget 'em all, 
Don't let 'em know you hear 'em call; 
Look up and see the rainbow smile. 
To-day's the only time worth while. 



95 



On the Trail of Love 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



Girl of the brown eyes, the clear eyes, the dear eyes. 

What would you do for me, love. 

For me, love, for me, love ? 
I'd follow you the long trail thro'. 
My fears for you, my tears for you. 

For you, love, for you, love. 



On the Trail of Love 

LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 
I 

HELPLESS 

TT hain't no use fer me to say 

There 's others with a style and way 
That beats hers to a £are-ye-well, 
Fer, on the square, I 'm here to tell, 
I jes' can't even start to see 
But what she 's perfect as kin be. 
Fer any fault I finds excuse, 
I 'm roped, I 'm tied ; so what 's the use 
Fer me to try to raise a hand. 
When on my heart she 's run her brand? 



COWBOY LYRICS 



II 

WEARY 

The bunk house hain't the same to me, 
The bunch jes' makes me weary. Gee! 
I never knew they was so coarse. 
I warps my face to try and force 
A smile at each old gag they spring; 
Fer I 'd heap rather hear her sing 
" Sweet Adeline," or softly play 
The " Dream o' Heaven " that-o'-way. 
Besides this place 'most anywhere 
I 'd rather be — so she was there. 



102 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



III 

" DEAR » 

She called me " dear," and, do you know. 

My heart jes' skipped a beat, and tho' 

I 'm hard to feaze, I 'm free to yip, 

My reason nearly lost its grip. 

She called me " dear," jes' sweet and slow. 

And lookin' down and speakin' low; 

And if I had ten lives to live. 

With ev'rything the world kin give, 

I 'd shake 'em all without one fear. 

If 'fore I'd go she 'd call me "dear." 



103 



COWBOY LYRICS 



IV 



HUMILITY 

You wonders why I slicks up so 

On Sundays, when I gits to go 

To see her — well, I 'm free to say, 

She 's like religion that-o'-way. 

Jes' sort o' like some holy thing, 

As clean as young grass in the spring; 

And so before I rides to her 

I looks my best from hat to spur. 

But even then I hain't no right 

To think I look good in her sight. 



1 



104 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



V 
DOUBT 

If she should pass me up — say, boy. 
You jes' put hobbles on your joy; 
First thing you knows you gits so gay. 
Your luck stampedes and drifts away. 
And don't you even start to guess 
That you 've a cinch on happiness ; 
Fer few e'er reach the Promised Land, 
If they starts headed by a band. 
Ride slow and quiet, humble, too. 
Or Fate will slap her brand on you. 



105 



COWBOY LYRICS 



VI 

MOONSHINE 

The old range sleeps, there hain't a stir. 
'Less 't is a night hawk's suddin whir, 
Or cottonwoods a-whisp'rin' while 
The red moon smiles a lovin' smile. 
And there I set and hold her hand. 
So glad I jes' can't understand 
The reason of it all or see 
Why all the world looks good to me; 
Or why I sees in it heap more 
Of beauty than I seen before. 



io6 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



VII 
RANGE O' DREAMS 

Fool talk, perhaps, but it jes' seems 
We 're ridin' thro' a range o' dreams ; 
Where medder larks the year 'round sing, 
And it 's jes' one eternal spring. 
And time — why, time is gone — by gee! 
There 's no such thing as time to me. 
Until she says, " Here, boy, you know, 
You simply jes' have got to go; 
It 's nearly twelve." I rides away. 
" Dog-gone a clock ! " is what I say. 



107 



COWBOY LYRICS 



VIII 

IDOLATRY 

I Stayed fer supper t'other night, 

And she made biscuits hot and light; 

Ahd, say, I eats 'em till I thought 

I 'd founder. Good? Why, man, you ought 

To try her cookin' once and see 

Jes' why I 'm talkin' as I be. 

It seems no matter what she makes. 

Hot biscuits, pies, or angel cakes. 

They all taste fine, jes' like she looks — 

Why, I 'd eat rocks, if rocks she cooks. 



io8 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



IX 

FAME 

The gent What runs the Lariet, 
Sure wins from me on any bet; 
The other day she goes to town. 
And fer his paper he writes down; 
" The charmin' daughter of our friend 
And old subscriber, whom we send 
Our best regards" — great writer, hey? 
" Was shoppin' in our midst to-day. 
And visitin' with Missis Bange, 
To leave to-morrow fer the range." 



109 



COWBOY LYRICS 



X 

"HOPPY-TOAD" 

We 're 'long the river t'other day, 
When a young toad gits in my way, 
And she 's that tender-hearted she 
Jes' makes a grab and jerk at me, 
Fer fear I flattens in the road 
That what she calls a " hoppy-toad." 
" It loves its life," she says, " and I 
Don't want no livin' thing to die 
Or suJEfer pain." And then, oh, well, 
I 'm jes' ashamed fer quite a spell. 



no 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



XI 

ASTRONOMY 

At times we set and watch the stars. 
Them mavericks the night unbars, 
To run the range o' heaven grand, 
Without an earmark or a brand, 
I don't know much, as you kin see, 
About that there astronomy. 
Or what 's the meanin' of it all. 
Or jes' what name each star to call, 
Except I studies 'em the best 
When on my shoulder she finds rest. 



Ill 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XII 



JEALOUSY 

Young preacher gobbler comes to call 
" On Paw," he says. He has his gall 
To try to choke that down my neck, 
When well I knows he holds in check 
His chicken heart when she 's around. 
With his " dear sister " plimi' perfound. 
Fer when he shakes her little hand, 
He simply makes an all-day stand. 
Of course, I slurs religion none; 
But I 've an unconverted gun. 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



XIII 

REFORMATION 

I used to go to town and paint 
The blamed burg red, but now I hain't 
No love fer all them old rough ways. 
Them r'arin', rippin', rowdy days. 
It seems I takes no comfort in 
Them lively forms o' reckless sin; 
Fer me the smoky jamberee 
Hain't nothin' like it used to be. 
I guess it 's 'cause I thinks she would 
Not like it — gee, I 'm gittin' good ! 



"3 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XIV 

TELEPATHY 

I don't talk much, hain't much to say, 
Jes' set and dream and watch the play 
Of light and shadow in her eyes. 
Her little ways, the look that lies 
Around her sweet mouth all the while, 
Jes' like the mirage o£ a smile. 
Somehow we 've got beyond the reach 
Of common talk and common speech; 
We simply think, and jes' hold hands. 
And in that way we understands. 



114 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



XV 

" MAW " 

At first her maw don't take to me. 
She 's jes' suspicious as kin be. 
Until I says to her one time: 
" I would n't bet a measly dime, 
Or half of it in Chinese change. 
There hain't a woman on this range 
That holds her age near like you do — 
Why, you 'd sure pass f er thirty-two ! " 
And since that time — well, me and Maw 
Are greatest friends you ever saw. 



"5 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XVI 
SACRED 

This afternoon she lost her glove; 
I be a thief, oh, Lady Love. 
I finds it and I schemes to keep 
It close to me; and, when I sleep, 
I puts it 'neath my piller. Gee! 
Am I dead gone? Well, cer-tin-ly! 
Little crinkled fingers, say ! — 
She always holds her hand that way^ 
To steal you from me can't be done. 
At least as long as I 've a gun. 



ii6 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



XVII 

SAD 

A bonehead trav'lin' man, dressed swell, 
A-stoppin' down at the hotel. 
He stares at her in no good way, 
And so I 'm forced to nicely say — 
I gits perlite, when crazy mad — 
Says I to him : " It would be sad 
Fer you to cease to be alive 
From lookin' down a forty-five; 
To think of it makes me lament. 
Don't make me weep." P. 5. He went. 



117 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XVIII 

IGNORANCE 

I always wonders why she goes 
So loco v/hen I brings a rose 
I picks fer her along the trail, 
And never, never does she fail 
To pin it next her heart and say: 
" Of roses bring me all you may ; 
Oh, boy, you surely, surely knows 
The meanin' of the red, red rose ? " 
I shakes my head; in roses she 
Sure sees a heap more things than me. 



ii8 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



XIX 

SENSITIVE 

Bud Hampton says last night : " 'T is sad 
To see a cowpunch' stuck so bad, 
He scarce kin even lift a quirt 
Without he's thinkin' of a skirt." 
And then I r'ars up and lets go: 
" If you means me, you better know 
Hell 's full o' talk that good old lead 
Could easy stopped from bein' said ! " 
The outfit yells : " Aw, take a joke ! " 
I drifts away — alone — to smoke. 



119 



COWBOY LYRICS 



i 



XX 

LONELINESS 

At nights I think of her a heap, 
These quiet nights when shadows creep 
Down thro' the sage, and ev'ry tree 
Looks like a black hearse plume to me. 
Oh, lonely land and lonely heart. 
It surely seems when I 'm apart 
From her I hain't the least excuse 
Fer livin', and I sees no use 
In even daylight comin', fer 
It 's always nighttime without her. 



120 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



XXI 

GENTLENESS 

Stopped in at Laimer's place to-day, 
He 's got a kid ; I makes a play 
At him, and, it 's the mortal truth, 
The yearlin' laughs and shows a tooth. 
And grabs my hand and grips 'er strong; 
While I 'm a-thinkin' all along. 
That somehow, since I first meets her, 
I 'm gentled down and softer, fer 
Them baby hands, tho' small they be, 
Jes' roped and tied the heart o' me. 



121 



CO WB O Y LYRICS 



XXII 

RETROSPECTION 

'T was week ago she went with me 

To 'tend the dance at the JB, 

A week ago, and here I set 

A-dreamin' of that blowout yet. 

I hears them drag-voiced fiddles speak, 

I feels her breath ag'in my cheek; 

Her heart a-beatin' next to mine. 

And all the world a-smilin' fine. 

Oh, Lady Love, there hain't no chance 

To e'er ferget you or that dance. 



122 



LOVE LRYICS OF A COWBOY 



XXIII 
LOYALTY 

Miss Perk — old maid — the other day 
She calls on Maw, and gab, well, say! 
That turkey buzzard sat and sat. 
And gossiped air holes in her hat. 
Wails she : " How kin you let your child 
Run with a drunken cowboy wild? " 
Then Maw slams back as cold as ice: 
" He may n't be ladylike or nice, 
But drunk or sober, hain't it true, 
He never, never bothered you ?^' 



123 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XXIV 
INCONSISTENCY 

When Romeo climbs up to meet 
His ladybird, he has me beat; 
Fer climbin' porches hold no sign 
Of common sense to me or mine; 
Altho' I 've rode a night to be 
With her ten minutes, but you see, 
If Romeo's fool trick I done. 
She 'd think me loco. (Huh, I won 
A sweet, sweet smile from her to-day, 
By ridin' twelve miles out my way.) 



124 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY, 



XXV 

LIGHT O' LOVE 

I rides to see her through the dark 

Old stormy night, without a mark 

To guide me thro' the howlin' gale, 

Or any sign of road or trail. 

But still a straight-line ride I makes. 

Across the flats and up the brakes. 

And till I reach her daddy's lane, 

I never even pulls a rein. 

Hain't dark to me — seems clear and bright, 

Fer on my way Love throwed his light. 



125 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XXVI 

CONTENTMENT 

We goes out ridin', she and I, 

Clear to the top of Alkali. 

And there we lets the ponies graze, 

And watch the old range through the haze. 

Plum' peaceful, sure, don't care a rap, 

My head 's a-restin' in her lap ; 

And then she says : " Oh, hain't it queer, 

We 're so content together, dear." 

And then her smilin' eyes I see, 

And happy day — she kisses me. 



126 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



XXVII 
DEVOTION 

Somehow the blues tied onto me, 
I 'm jes' downhearted as kin be, 
And so I says to her to-night, 
" A poor cowpuncher hain't no right 
To stick around a girl that 's square. 
And make her like him, make her care." 
" You may be poor," she says some slow, 
" But I don't care, I simply know 
The hardest trail would seem a joy. 
If only you were near, dear boy." 



127 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XXVIII 
LOCO 

We Ve been engaged jes' two days now, 

And it's a fact I don't know how 

It happened ; seems I 'm in a trance, 

Jes' shut both eyes and took a chance. 

And she said, " Yes." Say, on the square, 

Am I alive? Please tell me where 

I gits my mail and what 's my name. 

And if I 'm loco, who 's to blame ? 

I '11 welcome infermation that 

Will let me know jes' where I 'm at. 



128 



I 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



XXIX 

PAW 

Her paw he says to me : " My boy. 
You 've won her and I wish you joy — 
And now to practical affairs. 
You gits a bunch from me on shares. 
The rest you know 'bout how to do, 
And it 's a cinch that you '11 pull thro' ; 
Her maw and me got married when 
I hain't enough to feed a hen." 
And then he mutters queer and sad: 
" My baby 's done gone quit her dad." 



129 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XXX 

JUNE 

I wonder why a girl likes June 

Fer weddin' days? It hain't so soon 

As May or April, which to me 

Be jes' as good or better. Gee! 

I wish she 'd make it right away 

Instead o' June. Why not to-day? 

Aw, shucks ! A woman 's got to sew 

And fuss and fix ! I 'd like to go 

And see a J. P. on the whiz, 

But she says June and June it is. 



130 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



XXXI 
PUZZLED 

She 's diff'rent than she used to be, 

She looks so sort o' sad at me; 

And her maw cries as if I would 

Go take her girl away fer good. 

It seems these wimminfolks are queer, 

When they is glad they springs a tear; 

When they is sad they starts a smile, 

Jes' plum' contrary all the while. 

Say, kindly beat it thro' my head, 

Why all these weeps when 'bout to wed? 



t3i 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XXXII 
RESPONSIBILITY 

I figgers it 's no snap to do 

The right thing by a wife clear thro'; 

To build a home and smooth the trail 

Fer her, and never, never fail 

To see she gits the lightest pack, 

And never give Love's rope the slack. 

To treat her fair and treat her square, 

And thank your stars that she is there — 

When all your hard, rough work is thro'- 

Down at the gate to welcome you. 



132 



LOVE LYRICS OF A COWBOY 



xxxm 

CONGRATULATIONS 

Bud Hampton says to me to-day, 
" Old boy, I 've often spoke in play. 
And joshed you 'bout the girl, but now 
I begs your pardon, and allow 
I envies you and wishes all 
The good things in the world to fall 
Across your trail." And there I stand 
And gulp — and then they shakes my hand - 
The outfit does. " Good luck ! " they cries. 
Aw, what's the matter with my eyes? 



133 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



Boy of my dreams, my whole dreams, my soul dreams. 

What would you do for me love. 

For me, love, for me love ? 
I'd shelter you the long trail thro' 
My care for you, my share for you. 

For you, love, for you, love. 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



INTRODUCED 

'^T^WAS at a dance a week ago 

^ That first we met ; he bowed quite low 
When he was introduced. " May I 
Have the next waltz? " he asked. Oh, why 
Did I refuse and toss my head, 
Yet half regret the words I said? 
" It 's taken and the next is, too." 
And then he turned around and flew. 
Why did he back away so free? 
Why didn't he try coaxing me? 



137 



COWBOY LYRICS 



II 

"STRAYS" 

He rode up to our ranch to-day. 
And claimed he 's looking for a stray. 
He talked for quite a while to Dad; 
Looks funny that the fellow had 
To take up nearly half a day 
With talking of a single stray. 
But finally away he went; 
I peeked and watched him as he sent 
His horse along just like he 's glad ; 
And then like him / talked with Dad. 



138 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



III 
INDIFFERENCE 

Last night he stopped in and he stayed 

To supper, and he set and played 

Some cards with Dad and joked so free. 

Yet somehow me he did not see. 

I wonder if he thinks I care — 

One way or other — when or where 

He is or what he ever thought! 

But still I think he hadn't ought — 

I 'm sure I do not care a cent ! 

Yet I stayed up until — he went. 



139 



COWBOY LYRICS 



IV 
DUMBNESS 

On Sunday last he called, and I 

My bestest best did try and try 

To entertain him with the news, 

The stereopticon and views, 

And played the organ; yet right there 

He set and twisted in his chair. 

And looked at me — I had to laugh — 

As helpless as a real young calf. 

His words seemed in his throat to stick 

I wonder if the poor boy 's sick ! 



140 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



V 

SWEET 

To-day he came a-riding down, 

And brought me candy from the town; 

And then I asked, " Is this for me? " 

And then he said, "You bet it be!" 

I felt so queer I let him stand 

And for a moment hold my hand. 

" That candy 's sweet," he said, " is true. 

But there 's none made as sweet as you." 

And then I laughed and looked away. 

For there was nothing I could say. 



141 



COWBOY LYRICS 



VI 

DREAMS 

I dreamed of him last night, and thought 
He came to me and quickly caught 
Me in his arms, and told me all 
Those love-names that a man may call 
The girl he thinks his heart's desire; 
And then I dreamed a prairie fire 
Came sweeping up on every side, 
And he saveJ me and then I cried 
Upon his shoulder strong and nice, 
And then he leaned and kissed me twice I 



142 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



VII 

DISAPPOINTMENT 

I watched this afternoon a while 

For him to come. I know his style 

Of riding and the reckless way 

He has. I wonder if he may 

Have hurt himself or got a fall! 

He might drop in, if just to call 

On Dad. It 's getting dark — oh, hum 

And lonely, too. He will not come — 

He will not come. I feel — oh, dear!- 

As if I cared — I do — I fear. 



143 



COWBOY LYRICS 



VIII 

TRAIL TALK 

Rode out to-day; I don't know why 

I felt so restless ; thought I 'd try 

A lope across the flat and pick 

Some roses growing 'long the crick. 

And actually I just turned pale 

As he came riding up the trail. 

" Nice day," he said, and looked at me. 

I turned away, and said, " It be." 

" A-riding far?" I shook my head. 

"Can't I go 'long?" "No — yes," I said. 



144 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



IX 

PRIDE 

He is the boldest rider that 
You ever saw. He wears a hat 
That cost twelve dollars, like as not; 
His teeth are white and he has got 
Broad shoulders and a little waist. 
And just the el-e-gan-test taste 
In neckties that a boy e'er had. 
Besides, the other day dear Dad 
Said he was " sober, straight and fine." 
Dad's views 'most always are like mine. 



145 



COWBOY LYRICS 



X 

BUGGY RIDING 

He came and took me out to-night 

A-buggy-riding by moonlight. 

He drove real slow, yet somehow we 

Got home before we knew it. He 

Reached up and helped me to the ground, 

And gently slipped his arm around 

My waist, and whispered in my ear 

Two words that sounded like, " My dear,' 

And held me for a minute tight. 

And then he kissed — kissed me "good-night" 



146 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



XI 

EVELYN 

Miss Evelyn lives up in town, 
Her father is the Banker Brown; 
They met to-day at the picnic 
Old settlers held down on the crick. 
He looked at her in such a way — 
I really don't care to say 
Just how I felt; for well I know 
She has more style than me, and so 
If she can give him happiness. 
That 's all I ask — that is — I guess. 



147 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XII 
HEART SONG 

He wrote a note and asked of me 

To meet him by the Old Lone Tree. 

I slipped down thro' the shadows dark, 

And once I stopped to bend and hark, 

To overhear him singing low, 

" You are the dearest girl I know." 

He ran to me — true, strong and tall — 

But that 's not all, oh, that 's not all. 

He kept a-singing soft and low, 

" You are the dearest girl I know." 



148 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



XIII 

BITTERSWEET 

I wonder what makes them so sad — 
Dear Mother and my splendid Dad — 
Since I have had my company, 
They look so sad, so sad at me. 
And just the other night they came 
And hugged and loved me just the same 
As if I 'm still their baby ; then 
We all three cried and laughed; and when 
It got bedtime. Dad, big and slow, 
Sang me to sleep like long ago. 



149 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XIV 
GRAND! 

Yesterday we met in town, 

And, land! you ought to seen him frown 

At that store clerk who smiled at me, 

And say to him : " Don't get too free 

With that cheap grin, or it is true, 

I '11 tie a muzzle onto you. 

Don't get too fresh, or mighty soon 

I 'm due to hit you with a prune ! " 

My! such a fright I never had! 

But he 's just grand when he gets mad. 



ISO 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



XV 

PATERNAL 

All babies take to him a lot. 

The other night he come and got 

A neighbor's little one, and we 

Just had to laugh at him when he 

Made up a funny rock-a-by 

Of " Baby, shut your little eye ; 

Hear me talk, you son-of-a-gun. 

Go to sleep or I '11 hand you one." 

And Baby smiled and found Dreamland 

A-clutching of his big, brown hand. 



151 



COWBOY LYRIOS 



XVI 

APPRECIATION 

Last night for him I thought to wear 

A white dress, and I fixed my hair 

The way he likes it, and he came, 

And asked in fun: "What is your name? 

Come on and tell me. Aw, now do ! " 

" I do not know," I sighed. " Do you? " 

" Most certainly," he softly said, 

A smile around his lips so red; 

" What else could be your name to-night, 

Except Sweetheart or Beautybright? " 



152 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



XVII 

DAYDREAMS 

These days I often think of him, 
And, like a picture faint and dim, 
I seem to see a house — my own — 
And I am there, but not alone. 
The supper table 's set, and there 
He is a-resting in his chair 
And I in mine — between us — well 
A little one; and then I tell 
Myself : " A picture 's all you see — 
It is a dream that may not be." 



153 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XVIII 
GHOSTS 

It seems that love is not all joy. 

I know that since I 've met one boy, 

There always is that ghost of fear 

That I won't always have him near; 

That maybe there might come a day 

When he would weary and drift 'way, 

When ne'er again, as night hawk whirs, 

I 'd hear the jingle of his spurs. 

His welcome laugh — oh, boy, dear boy! 

It seems that love is not all joy. 



154 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



XIX 

DAY O' DAYS 

To-day it is the day o' days. 

My, how my heart at jumping plays! 

It is the day he calls, you see, 

And that is why I just can't be 

For even one short minute still. 

It seems a year to me until 

I hear the hoofbeats down the trail, 

The laughing words that never fail 

To thrill me thro', tho' somehow I 

Feel half a laugh and half a cry. 



155 



CO WB O Y LYRICS 



X 

WORDS 

Last night four little words he said. 

And then he reached and laid my head 

Upon his shoulder, and, I thought, 

Why should I struggle when I 'm caught? 

Besides, I rather liked the place 

So near — so very near — his face. 

And then the whole wide world grew still, 

And then there came the sweet, fine thrill 

Of those four words, spoke deep and true, 

"I love just you — I love just you!" 



156 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



XXI 

CORRESPONDENCE 

I got my first love note to-day. 

I never knew a man could say 

So much in just a little note. 

I '11 have to tell you what he wrote : 

" Sweetheart mine — " now, that 's just fine ! ~ 

" Go count your fingers, that 's a sign 

That every finger means a word 

Each one of which you 've often heard ; 

Either hand will answer true, 

Count up to four: I just love you." 



157 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XXII 

ENGAGED 

La-la, he brought to me to-day 

The dearest ring, but Mother — say, 

She just took on and cried and cried, 

And then he come up to her side. 

Arid put his arms around her, and 

'T was just 'bout all that I could stand. 

" Don't cry," he said to her so kind — 

And, honestly, I near went blind. 

Then Mother smiled up thro' her tears 

And he just calmed and soothed her fears. 



iS8 



RANCH GIRL LOVE LYRICS 



XXIII 
CONFESSIONAL 

He is more gentle with me now — 
As if he could be — anyhow, 
He seems that way. I wish I could 
Be half as good as he is good, 
Be half as thoughtful, half as true. 
And do just what he wants me to. 
It seems that love and humbleness 
Are both the same, I must confess; 
It comes to me now more and more, 
I never halfway lived before. 



159 



COWBOY LYRICS 



XXIV 
ANTENUPTIAL 

To-morrow is my wedding day, 
I want to sing, I feel so gay; 
I '11 have my man — my man alone. 
We '11 have a ranch that 's all our own ; 
And yet there comes a tiny fear 
As every clocktick brings me near 
That day — the happiest in life. 
When one dear boy will call me " wife. 
Ah, here he comes across the range — 
And yet — and yet I feel so strange. 



1 60 



THE PRINCESS OF DESIRE 



Lem Scobey, of the Flying V, 
Told out the tale one night to me : 
Of Sheriff Ben, the lad and her. 
And the Ralion boys of Sinneber. 



THE PRINCESS OF DESIRE 

SAID Scobey, gazing at the fire, 
" We named her Princess of Desire, 
Because her beauty was the kind 
To strike a man dumb, deaf and blind; 
And, bein' so, we thinks that she 
Belongs to that there royalty 
Of that old state of Sweet Desire, 
Where Love is king and no one higher. 

" She come to town one balmy day, 
A weakly boy linked that-o'-way 
Close to her side, you 'd think she had 
A mortgage on that lucky lad. 
The kid jes' idolized her, too; 
Fer 'fore they come he had been thro' 
A spell o' sickness; come right nigh 
To winnin' out a home on high. 

" Then sister, havin' heaps of wealth. 
Comes West fer sake of brother's health. 
163 



COWBOY LYRICS 

He loved her strong, that boy sure did. 
And we of such-like were not rid; 
Not brother-love, but genuwine 
Old ' Achin'-heart,' and ' Ever-thine.' 
And so, you see, that was the way 
In Lariet she come to stay. 

" She used to set there on the step 
Of the hotel, while brother slept. 
And softly talk to them that stayed 
And hung around her half-afraid. 
Like moths all singed with candleflame 
That still fly in and play the game; 
Fer there was something in her voice 
That made your very soul rejoice. 

" She used to make me sort o' think 

Of tiger lilies on the brink 

Of some cool stream, where fairies played, 

Or little children laughin' strayed. 

And then ag'in it seemed to me 

Her eyes held all the mystery 

That this old world has ever known 

Or ever kin expect to own. 

" To see her once was to release 
All holts you ever had on peace; 

164 



THE PRINCESS OF DESIRE 

To hear her voice meant love to spring 
Up in your heart a locoed thing; 
And in your dreams she 'd smile, and you 
Would give your life if it was true. 
She was the kind you can't ferget, 
Tho' years ago, I see her yet. 

" And now I 'm not ashamed to say 
The Princess smiled my heart away. 
But one night I jes' fights it out. 
And gits my senses back — about. 
And so I plays unto the end 
With her a plain, out-spoken friend; 
It was a lie that hurt like sin, 
Tho' love is great if you don't win. 

" But Sheriff Ben was hopeless hit. 
And oftentimes he used to sit 
With her of moonlight nights, and she 
Would talk to him; and he, well, he 
Would jes' grow pale with pure delight; 
Fer he sure loved her — loved her right. 
His was the style that what he had 
He always got it bad — plum' bad. 

" Ben had a nerve like tempered steel. 
And fear was never known to feel. 

165 



COWBOY LYRICS 

Cold gray eyes and quickness that 
Was like a high-strung mountain cat; 
A speed not passed by any one 
Who ever jerked a sure-shot gun. 
Yet, with the Princess, always he 
Was slow and bashful as could be. 

" Don't know jes' how it happened then. 
But seems she was a-stringin' Ben, 
Jes' playin' him as punchers play 
A bronk they know can't git away; 
Jes' passin' of the time fer fun, 
With his true heart roped, tied and won. 
And Ben looks sad and hopeless tries 
To hide the love that 's in his eyes. 

" 'T was after them there Ralton boys 
Held up the mail and shot * Red ' Noyes, 
That Ben he saddled up and rode 
To where the girl he loved abode. 
She laughed and wished him lots of luck. 
And her white fingers at him shuck. 
And said : * To-morrow night, a week, 
Bring me the Raltons — sheriff, meek'' 

" Poor Ben, with heart full to the brim. 
Tries not to show how she 's hurt him ; 

1 66 



THE PRINCESS OF DESIRE 

Chokes back Love's words, and says to her, 

* I take the trail to Sinneber. 

Perhaps, I '11 fer the Raltons try. 

Will call on them alone — good-by.* 

Ag'in she laughs, as on Ben went. 

As if she did not care a cent. 

" Not that her tears would held him back 

From off o' Duty's narrow track; 

But had she flashed Love's sign to Ben 

He 'd never been so reckless then. 

He would have taken us, and we 

Would got the Raltons easily. 

But hopeless love and woman's way 

Let Death play winner on that day. 

" We knew Ben's style and knew he would 

Make what he said to her stand good; 

So we in council talks, and then 

We saddles up and follers Ben. 

We plans to git the Raltons three. 

Before the sheriff recklessly 

Kin take a chance with them alone; 

Fer well to us their ways are known. 

" The next day out we sights Ben's boss — 
A painted bronk he named * Old Boss.' 

167 



C OWBO Y LYRICS 

We finds where he 's stepped easy-like ; 
And, 'fore they could much think to strike. 
Had prob'ly called 'Hands up!' but they 
Were not the kind to such obey. 
Ben got two men before he died, 
And trailed 'em 'cross the Great Divide. 

" I finds her on the hotel step. 

And 'round her great, queer shadows crept; 

Her face shone white; jes' like two stars 

Were her dear eyes. And then the bars 

Of rough, hard talk I jes' let down. 

And says : * We 've brought Ben back to town ; 

He 's dead, and little do you care 

Of how or why or when or where ! ' 

" She says no word, jes' goes stone-blind. 
And stumblin', tries my hand to find. 
And that same night the Princess cried 
Till daylight by the sheriff's side. 
Next day she leaves, and blamed if we 
Did not the worst kind hate to see 
Her go; and — well, it makes me sigh — 
She sadly kissed us all good-by. 

" Sure, kissed us all 'cept Parson Bawn, 
Who sort o' took his lookin' on. 

i68 



THE PRINCESS OF DESIRE 

Now, this here yarn of woman's ways 

I '11 never sabes in my days. 

When Ben was livin' she would laugh 

And think it fun to ever gaff 

His heart; but, when he ups and dies, 

She goes clear wild, and cries — and cries." 



169 



THE HOMESTEADER 



Tin cans for flower pots. 
Gunny sacks for rugs ; 

Overalls and calico. 

Ways of common plugs. 

Good raw land that makes us 
Independent, free ; 

For no landlord ever gives 
His back ^o.lk io me. 



THE HOMESTEADER 

HOME 

T ITTLE old shack, 
^•^ All tar-papered black, 
Your chimney leans back 

From the north wind. 
Your windows are few. 
Your rooms only two, 
But yet to my view 

You 're a mansion. 

Little old shack. 

There 's lots that you lack, 

Yet still you 've the knack 

To look home-like. 
My hands builded you. 
The wife helped me, too; 
I guess you will do 

For our mansion. 



173 



BREAKING 

Tl| REAKING raw land is hard work, 
•^-^ But I don't feel so now ; 
I keep a-thinking, this is mine, 
With every foot I plow. 

Never owned no ground before 

I settled West, and so 
I keep a-thinking, this is mine, 

As down and back I go. 

Earthy smell seems good to me. 

The plow is doing fine; 
Sometimes I fairly have to sing, 

A-thinking, this is mine. 



174 



AFTER THRASHING 

T 'M black and I 'm dirty 
^ But the wheat will go thirty 
Good bushels to acre, by Joe! 
It 's worth a hard dollar — 
I just want to holler, 
Oh, where is the man that I owe? 



175 



THE CHILDREN 

TTOUNGSTERS sure enjoy this life, 
^ T' other day I told my wife : 
" Look at our two kids — I swear ! — 
Don't they beat the finest pair 
Of young Indians you e'er see? — 
Brown and hearty as can be ! " 
Then I cleaned my pipe to smoke, 
And she came to me and spoke 
Rather sentimental, and 
I reached back and squeezed her hand. 



176 



THE PICNIC 

'T^ OOK the wife and kids and went 

^ To a picnic. Neighbors sent 
Word for us to come, and, say! 
It was sure a splendid day! 
Band was there and speaking, too, 
Talked of politics a few; 
Heard it whisp'red 'round I might 
Win in the commissioner fight — 
If I cared to try. M-m, well. 
That's too far off now to tell. 
But it pleased me, I may say, 
To be spoke of in that way. 
Fine moon home; the kids they crept 
Close together, and they slept. 
Mother, drowsy, rested where 
My free arm could hold her there. 



177 



THE NEW HOUSE 

TTiUILT the new house late last spring, 
^-^ Wife she cried to leave the shack. 
Woman-style, she said she felt 

Pretty much like moving back 
Into that old place where we 
Knew the pinch of poverty. 

Seems that Mother loves the shack 
Where we seen our hardest days; 

Well, I humor her, for I 

Know a bit of woman's ways — 

Know the good Creator lent 

Them His share of sentiment. 



178 



THE DITCH-DIGGER 

T TE 'S ditched an eighty-acre patch, 
^ ^ He says he 's West to stay. 
Where once grew sagebrush, this here chap 
Crops sugar beets and hay. 

He hain't got much, — a new board shack, 

A Water right, a piece o' land, 
A wife, some kids, a team and cows, 

A hopeful heart, a willin' hand. 

Hain't much fer style, — wears overalls. 
The cheapest kind of common dud; 

And like enough they 're spattered with 
The cheapest kind of common mud. 

He has some money in the bank, 
" Keep free o' debt," his livin' rule; 

The wife makes butter, and the kids 
Help with the milkin' after school. 

His story hain't so long on thrills, 
In romance he don't fit in good; 

But out o' water and some dirt 

He 's made a home where sagebrush stood. 

179 



PLANTIN' TIME 

DID you ever feel that way, 
When warm weather 's comin' on, 
And you smell the green things growin' 

Thro' the dusk and thro' the dawn? 
Jes' a sort o' stretchy feelin', 

With your thoughts all out o' rhyme, 
Jes' a lazy, dazy feelin'. 

When it's gittin' plantin' time? 

When it 's gittin' plantin' time. 

And the grangers sort the seed. 
And the wimmin start house cleanin'. 

And the blackbird's in the reed. 
Land-a-mighty ! hain't you lazy! 

Why, you 're scarcely worth a dime. 
All the work you do is hardship 

When it 's gittin' plantin' time. 

'Drather go and set and listen 

To the curlews callin' there, 
'Drather watch the sunbeams dancin' 

On the gleamy, glinty air. 



PLANTIW TIME 

'Drather lay back sort o' easy, 
'Drather do 'most anything 

'Sides workin', when it 's gittin' 
Plantin' time along in spring. 



i8i 



PLAINT OF THE HIRED HAND 

T^ERN my hide, I feel so lazy, 
^^ Feel so stretchy, feel so dazy. 
And the old red day is dawnin', 
And I 'm layin' here and yawnin', 
Thinkin' if I had a dollar. 
Like to see the men who 'd holler, 
Or even dare to whisp'rin' say: 
" Git up, Jim, don't sleep all day." 

What man is there in the land 
Has the troubles of a hand? 
Go to bed at dark, and more. 
You gits up at half -past four; 
And you pail 'bout forty-six 
Gosh-blamed cow-brutes, and the tricks 
That they play and put on you 
Jes' would make an angel stew. 

Honestly, I git so mad 
That sometimes I wish I had 
Power to jes' make one swipe. 
And each kickin' cow-brute wipe 

182 



PLAINT OF THE HIRED HAND 

Off this whirlin', jiggy earth; 

Fer 'twould give me scads o' mirth — 

Honestly, I know it would 

Do me jes' a sight o' good. 

And there 's pigs to slop and feed, 
Give the hosses what they need. 
See the chickens all are fed. 
And the pigeons overhead. 
And there 's water fer to bring 
From that singy-songy spring; 
And there 's wood to chop — and all 
This is done 'fore breakfast call. 

Then you hook the plow team on. 
And go stragglin' thro' the dawn; 
Work and work and sweat all day. 
Work and work and work away. 
Dern my hide, I feel so lazy. 
Feel so stretchy, feel so dazy. 
And the old red day is dawnin'. 
And I 'm layin' here and ya-a-a-aw-nin'. 



183 



IF SHE'D A-LIVED 

T F she 'd a-lived — I did not know 
■*" This ranch life hurt and crushed her so ; 
She worked with me from dawn to dark, 
And on her sad face was the mark 
Of tiredness, and then there came 
The end — and now with bitter shame 
And sorrow I camp here alone; 
I 'd done so diff'rent, if I 'd only known — 
And she 'd a-lived. 

If she 'd a-lived I 'd give her all 
Them things a woman likes to call 
Love-things — I somehow thought she knew ; 
I worked so hard, was straight and true, 
But seldom kissed her or spoke out 
My love fer her, or put about 
Her waist a tender, knowin' hand — 
By God ! I want to now, you understand ! — 
If she 'd a-lived. 



IF SHE'D A-LIVED 

If she 'd a-lived, this shack would be 
A reg'lar paradise to see. 
With honeysuckles 'round the door. 
Her baby creepin' on the floor. 
The lamplight gleamin' on her hair. 
Her smile across the table there. 
Now in the dark I sit alone 
And mourn and mourn the joys we might 
a-known, 

If she 'd a-lived. 



i8s 



THE INDIAN 



Remember the promise, Dakptah, 

Remember Messiah has said: 
" I come on the morrow, my children. 

And with me the numberless dead. 
Again will the sunlight on lances 

Shiver and break at the morn — 
On the lances of warriors, Dakotah, 

The bright eagle feathers adorn. 
Again will the buffalo fatten. 

Again will the swift hunters roam; 
Dance the ghost-dance, O Dakotah ! 

For to-morrow thy people come home. " 



THE INDIAN 

THE WESTERN TRAIL 

N the beginning the Great Spirit gave the 

prairie rare gifts: 
The mirage, the warm rains of springtime, the 

grasses and the flowers; 
The buffalo, the village by the river and the 

children basking in the sun. 
Happy were we then, O my people! 
But from the East a white warrior came and 

with a mighty arrow wounded the 

prairie ; 
And the grasses and the flowers withered and 

the herds and villages melted away — 
Melted, O my people! as the snow melts 

before the Chinook. 
In time the wound healed, but a scar was left 

— a long, white scar across the prairie's 

breast. 



189 



WOMAN-WHO-WAILS 

A WOMAN crouching on a hill, 
^^ Wailing for her warrior dead; 
Shrill and wild her grief doth fill 

Every maiden's heart with dread. 
Once she smiled as now they smile, 
Once she knew Love's lure and thrill; 
Shall they in a little while 

Wail as she upon a hill? 



190 



GOOD MEAT FOR ALL 

'T^HE hunter bends the bow, 
^ And twangs the shaft-set string ; 
The women bring the meat. 

The sweet, strong meat they bring. 
The helpless and the weak 

Shall not in hunger call, 
Nor shall they pleading speak. 

The good meat is for all. 



191 



CHILDREN IN THE SUN 

SEE the children in the sun, 
Brown and naked every one, 
Sprawling on the breast of earth: 
Even in their wildest mirth. 
Little stoics that repress 
All of childhood's noisiness. 



192 



THE WAR DANCE 

lODIES that gleam like rare bronze in the 
fire, 

Voices that chant of an ancient desire; 
Leaping and gliding and telling a story, 
Weaving in pantomine figures of glory. 
Bending and crouching in postures of grace. 
Stamping and circling in rhythmical pace, 
To stolid drum's tunking and unchanging 

beat, 
As autumn leaves blown drift the young war- 
riors' feet; 
For to-morrow they follow on fair Danger's 

trail. 
And to-morrow — to-morrow the women will 
wail. 



193 



ONJINJINTKA 
A SIOUX LEGEND 

CAMPED in the foot hills, their fires bright 
With spears of flame flung back the 
night; 
And there we smoked, the chief and I, 
And hearkened to the soft wind sigh, 
The distant music of the stream. 
And all the voices that e'er seem — 
Half -hushed to whispers in the trees — 
To speak of Night's vast mysteries. 
The Old Sioux spoke; his eyes grew dim, 
As Mem'ry kissed her hand to him. 
And lured him on to tell the tale 
Of why the lonesome pine trees wail 
Through long, long nights of murk and dread, 
Like hopeless spirits of the dead. 

Onjinjintka, the Rose, lovelier than the flower, 
She came and blossomed in our hearts; 
We loved her as a child of the sunlight, 
Smiles of the dawn rested in her eyes, 
194 



ON JIN JINTKA 

She was as a little daughter of the Good 

Spirit, 
Thus we loved Onjinjintka, the Rose. 

Many were the warriors who loved her, 
Many were the gifts laid at her father's feet; 
But to the warriors her father spoke: 
" She is my best beloved, the flower of my 

heart. 
Her way is my way." 
Calm as the mountain lake was the heart of 

the Rose — 
The heart of Onjinjintka, the Rose. 

From the land of the rising sun a white man 

came : 
Yellow as gold was his hair, and he laughed 
After the manner of his tribe. 
Face to face met they — face to face, 
Onjinjintka, the Rose, and he of the yellow 

hair. 
The maid seeing no evil in his smile. 

For he would pluck the wild rose, and, when 

its fragrance died. 
Fling it down in the dust of forgetfulness. 
Onjinjintka basked in his smile, 

195 



COWBOY LYRICS 

It was as the south wind to her soul. 

The white man abided with us to the Spirit 

Hills; 
Happy then was Onjinjintka, the Rose. 

Here at the foot of the Spirit Hills we made 

our camp. 
Going no farther, being fearful of the anger 

of the gods. 
Broken then was the heart of Onjinjintka, 
Withered as the leaf in autumn was the spirit 

of Onjinjintka, the Rose. 
At the dawn she awoke and found him not — 
Found not her white lover by her side ; 
In the dark night he had departed. 

His trail led to a great trail — 

A great trail made by many wagons; 

For he had found his kind, 

The white man had found his people. 

For him Onjinjintka wailed as for the dead. 

Broken was the heart of Onjinjintka, the Rose. 

We heard her wailing in the darkness — 
Wailing for her love in the darkness. 
She wandered afar into the Spirit Hills. 
Her father called her and she answered not, 

196 



ON JIN JINTKA 

We waited and she returned not; 
Empty were our hearts without Onjinjintka, 
the Rose. 

Hearken, the wind comes through the pines. 
It is the voice of her — 

It is the voice of her wailing in the darkness, 
Wailing for him who loved her not. 
We shiver as we listen to her wailing; 
Empty are our hearts without Onjinjintka, the 
Rose. 



197 



SOMBER-LAND 



A dusty trail, a burning sky. 
And splotch of leprous alkali i 
Gray, silent wastes that touch the rim 
Of Somber-land, vast, vague and dim. 



SOMBER-LAND 

WINDS OF THE WEST 

OH, the west winds, the wild winds, glad 
vagrants and free! 
They sing of the lure of the long trail to me ; 
They sing of a bluff, a lone wolf on the crest. 
And the tang of the sage from the wastes 
to the west. 

Oh, the west winds, the wild winds, a mad 

symphony 
That shouts of the smoke of the line camps 

to me! 
Till out of my soul bursts a passionate cry, 
" Oh, I come, I come home, for thy bondman 

am I." 



FLOOD SONG 

13 AIN-DRENCHED rest the spruces, 
^^ The water-wiorn sluices 
Run high with the floods of the year's cleans- 
ing time; 
While the echo-haunts thunder 
The towering cliffs under, 
A lost river moans where the cave-voices 
chime. 

Where shaggy pines wander 

O'er crags looming yonder. 
The wind sobs for aye like a mortal in pain; 

And mists roll in masses 

Through flame-blackened passes. 
Gray warriors with plumes all a-drip in the 
rain. 

Wildly sweet is the singing 

Of glad torrents bringing 
Fair gifts to the plains and the valleys below; 

Fair gifts of green bowers 

And grass-sheltered flowers, 
And all of the joys that the spring-spirits 
know. 



SAGEBRUSH 

"piNE-PLUMED the grotesque buttes arise 
•^ Like monsters squat and dumb, 
As shrill the watchful curlew cries, 

" Behold, the armies come ! " 
The ghostly ranks pass in review 

'Neath flags of twilight haze; 
The west wind low and thrillingly 

Their martial music plays. 

From column into line they wheel, 

The skirmishers advance; 
Yet ne'er a gleam of bayonet. 

Nor glitter of a lance. 
In silence sad they sweep the plain. 

Like veterans grim with age; 
Across God's somber-land they march, 

The gray ranks of the sage. 



203 



THE BUTTES 

T TALF-HID in shadow, vague and drear, 
^ ^ They loom like sculptured shapes of 

fear: 
Monuments and ghastly domes. 

And toppling turrets tall. 
That rear misshapen forms above 

Yon monstrous castle wall — 
Yon castle wall where dwarfish pine, 

In fringe nigrescent set, 
Enscar the sick moon's pallid face 

With grotesque silhouette. 



204 



THE BAD LANDS 

T^ LUFFS of ochre and brown and red 
^^ In varied glory flare. 
For here is the land of mystery, 
Where God plays solitaire. 

A gray plain and a soft mirage 
In the blue haze over there. 

For here is the land of lonesomeness. 
Where God plays solitaire. 

A mudded butte and shapes that come 

And at the sunset stare. 
For here is the land of forgotten pasts, 

Where God plays solitaire. 

A silence that dwarfs the soul of man. 
Oh, the silence everywhere! 

For here is the land of things unsolved, 
Where God plays solitaire. 



205 



TWILIGHT ON THE RANGE 

^T^O soft subdue the wide wastes to its thrall, 
^ Palpitant, a purple haze enchanteth all; 
Silence, save the curlew's sad, insistent call, 
Or suddenly and sweet the mellow boom 
Of night hawks circling through the deepening 
gloom. 



206 



TRAIL'S END 



Gone, gone are the riders of border renown; 

The mess Wagon rusts at the edge of the town. 

They have drifted away ; the plow has effaced 

The sites of their camps and the trails that they traced. 

"Adios, and forever!" they carelessly cried. 

As boldly and proudly they crossed the Divide. 



TRAIL'S END 

DEAR LITTLE FIRE 

DEAR little fire by the upland trail, 
Well fed with twigs of oak. 
By you I '11 dream and soft caress 
Your tiny hands of smoke. 

Dear little friend of the lonely hours, 

I '11 give you afterwhile, 
A dainty offering of leaves 

And grass to make you smile. 

Oh, then you '11 romp and chatter and play. 
And laugh with quaint delight. 

And throw warm kisses at the sad 
And solemn-looking night. 



20P 



CHEYENNE, CHEYENNE 

Cheyenne, Cheyenne, the moonlight is shifting. 
And turning the gray of thy Waters to gold. 

While out from the trees the shadows are drifting. 
Like silken robes blown, dark fold upon fold. 

Roll on, thou old river, ghosts rise to thy 
bidding. 
The spirits of warriors in fierce array loom 
On thy banks where they camped and rode 
forth to battle, 
Disdainful, though knowing they rode to 
their doom. 
Aye, they rode to their doom, the coyotes are 
crying. 
Wild chorus that quivers and rises and falls ; 
Voices nocturnal, strange, poignant with sor- 
row, 
They dream of the past and they answer its 
calls. 

Cheyenne, Cheyenne, the moonlight is shifting. 
And turning the gray of thy waters to gold. 

While out from the trees the shadows are drifting. 
Like silken robes blown, dark fold upon fold. 



AT WILD BILL'S GRAVE 

TVT O more ring the shouts and the boisterous 
^ ^ laughter, 

That told of the joy of the bold cavalier; 
Who lived out his time, caring naught for 
Hereafter, 

Counting death as a favor and not as a fear. 

Gone, gone are the days and the nights of 
disorder. 
When none but the coward from glory was 
barred ; 
Now the grass decks thy grave, wild son of 
the border. 
And vandals thy headstone have mockingly 
marred. 



THE STAMPEDE 

THE thunder bellows o'er the plains, 
The lightning brands the sky; 
And like a horned and hooved cyclone 

The stampede surges by. 
The storm-gods beat their great war drums, 

Their fury to proclaim. 
And tip the tossing, clashing horns 
With phosphorescent flame. 

The heaving tide of flesh sweeps on; 

A lone guard vainly strives 
To turn the plunging, frantic beasts 

That senseless panic drives. 
The bronco stumbles; yet in death 

The man his mission fills; 
For, veering from that huddled shape. 

The herd in safety mills. 



212 



i 



THE SPRING ROUNDUP 

A WORLD of dust peopled by strange 
^*' shapes 

That whirl and plunge and rear; 
A carnival of sound, — deep, wild and hoarse, — 

That speaks maternal fear. 
Stern work for man and trusty horse. 

Swing out, swing in and pass! 
The day is hot and long, but yet 

To-night, upon the grass. 
The horse will ease his fevered sides, 

And man will count it blest 
To smoke and talk and lastly know 

The pleasant range of rest. 



213 



IN PASSING 

TTOU waved a slim brown hand to me 
^ With a grace that proved devotion 
To subtle art, O, sailor bold, 

Across a grassy ocean. 
You drifted by, and swingingly 

You weaved with the rhythmic motion 
Of your bronco-ship, — staunch bark to ride 

Across a grassy ocean. 



214 



A COWBOY TO HIS MOTHER 

T 'M camping here alone to-night, 

And thoughts like ghosts all sad and pale 
Rise up to haunt my heart and drift 

Along the twisting mem'ry trail. 
Her sweet, sad smile, her tender voice, 

The softness of her cheek and hand; 
But she is gone, oh, tell me where! 

What trail leads out into that land? 

She used to say that every star 

Was some dear soul whose work was done; 
And in that peaceful range above, 

God night-herd stands on every one. 
My soul just cries, but yet those stars 

No look of love or longing wear. 
Oh, tell me, is there answer to 

That never-ending question, "Where?" 

And still the stars look coldly down. 

As cold and solemn as can be; 
They never smile, and her kind eyes 

Forever held a smile for me. 

215 



COWBOY LYRICS 

Up in the brakes a lone wolf howls, 
In long-drawn quavers mournfully ; 

And then the silence and the stars 
Make mock of wolf and mock of me. 



216 



THE RANCH HOUSE 

UPON the logs a wolf hide hangs, 
A saddle lies beside the door; 
And just within its shadow there 
A baby creeps upon the floor. 



217 



THE DOOM OF THE WEAK 

GAUNT mother, the spring is not yet come, 
When grasses wave 'neath wild plum 
bloom ; 
When Nature smiles upon the range. 
Forgetful of the days of doom. 

And that pathetic, awkward calf — 
Of all that lives, to you most dear — 

Cannot long lean upon your strength, 
Or feel your presence warm and near. 

The gray wolf 's famished and his jaws 
Hang slavering with mad desire; 

Yet still your eyes, your dauntless front. 
His caution and his fear inspire. 

No fear of self, you rise supreme 
To all that 's true, to all that 's good 

In Nature's realm; for naught excels 
The sacrifice of motherhood. 

218 



THE DOOM OF THE WEAK 

You lurch, and then the wolf's quick leap, 
The blood's red gush upon the snow. 

And one last effort to defend 

The offspring that you cherished so. 

In vain you strive to reach, protect. 
Defender bold and mother meek; 

Yours is the doom all merciless — 
The age-old doom of all the weak. 



219 



SILHOUETTE IN SEPIA 

^T^HE camp 's asleep, and through the gloom 
^ The white-topped wagons spectral loom ; 
And weird the lonesome coyotes call, 
And quiet stars stand watch o'er all. 
The fire 's down, the shadows creep. 
Their work is done, the camp 's asleep. 



220 



LONELY, HUNTED MEN 

'T^HE sheriff mutters as he sees 
■^ A wisp of smoke above the trees: 
A story writ upon the air 
By bright-eyed Danger, cold and fair. 
" Hanas up!" Then sharp the bjack guns 

speak ; 

The outlaw falls. The acrid reek 

Of burning ash across him drifts. 

And in the smoke his spirit lifts. 

For lonely, hunted men desire 

The comfort of a friendly fire. 



221 



TO A RATTLESNAKE 

YOU try your best to slip away 
Across the sun-baked alkali; 
And failing, rattle warning fair, 

While I decree that you must die. 
My gun roars out, I ride away, 

I 've killed a rattlesnake, that 's all ; 
No more o'er sun-baked alkali 
Will that dread shape in hatred crawl. 

" In hatred crawl? " Speak I the truth? 

I take your life as if I knew 
I had the right; yet I cannot 

Return that which I took from you. 
A baby has been known to lay 

Its little hands on you in glee, 
And you struck not. Perhaps my hate 

Is what stirs hate in you for me. 



222 



SWEETHEART-PRETTY-GIRL 

T ITTLE daughter of a chief, 
^"^ The western sky grows pale, 
Why linger here alone, forlorn, 
Beside this gloomy trail? 

" A white man gave to me this charm ; 

It is pure gold," cried she, 
" And named me Sweetheart-Pretty-Girl, 

Then rode away from me. 

" Sweetheart-Pretty-Girl e'er waits 

Here at the death of day, 
For him who gave to her this charm. 

And stole her heart away." 

I took the charm she thought pure gold, 

Poor little maid, alas! 
The white man's gift was like his love, 

A thing of worthless brass. 



223 



THE VOICE OF THE WOLF 

T XT HERE the lonely Ghost Hills loom 
■ • Like white islands in the gloom, 
Hark! a cry to the sky — 
Keen, impassioned, thin and high. 

With a wild and haunting quaver of despair. 

Voice that speaks a sorrow old. 
And a memory seems to hold 

Qf a fear, and a spear — 

Rudely-fashioned — ever near. 
And a crouching, skin-clad figure by a fire. 



224 



TO A BUFFALO SKULL 

ON the sable wall your great skull gleams, 
A regal ornament; 
A relic of weathered bone and horn. 
Once lord of a continent. 

The war-lord, yea, of a countless host. 

But gone is your kingly sway; 
For never again will you head the herd 

In the spring when the young calves play. 

All bleached with the merciless sun and rain 

Of many and many a day. 
You 're all that is left to tell the tale 

How the black lines passed this way. 



225 



THE ETERNAL CIRCLE 

TTESTERDAY a cave man spoke: 
* This land is old; 

Thus wail the voices in the smoke. 
This land is old. 

Yesterday a red man cried: 

This land is old; 
I pass the haunts where cave men died. 

This land is old. 

Yesterday a white man said: 

This land is old; 
Observe this flinty arrow-head. 

This land is old. 

Yesterday a good man sighed: 

This land is old; 
My city's pride a grave doth hide. 

This land is old. 

Yesterday a builder sang: 

This land is old; 
From narrow trails my wide streets sprang. 

This land is old. 

226 



THE ETERNAL CIRCLE 

Yesterday a savage cried: 

This land is old; 
What paths are these, grass-dimmed and 
wide? 

This land is old. 



227 



TRAIL'S END 

'iT^WEEN the old time and the new, 
^ I have sung heart-songs of you — 
You, lean stranger to all fear, 
Careless border cavalier. 

Now, old pard, that you are gone. 
And the gray and cheerless dawn 
Of a day called Progress comes, 
And the throaty engine hums 
Down the trail where you and I 
Made our camps and watched the sky 
Drop its crimson sunset bars 
To a bunch of mav'rick stars. 
Then, oh, then, I cry aloud 
Curses on the white-faced crowd. 
On the heights of stone and wood. 
Standing where our line-camps stood; 
On the jangle of the street. 
And each pale, worn face I meet. 
On the coyote ways of men — 
Sharp of fang beyond our ken — 
228 



TRAIL'S END 

Snapping o'er a brother's bones 
For a pile of yellow stones. 
Did we seek for gold or fame? 
No, we played a careless game; 
And on plunging ponies we 
Shouted back in mocking glee, 
When in town the black gun spoke 
Through a smiling wreath of smoke. 

Thus I dream and long and fret, 
For my heart will not forget — 
Not forget those old, red days 
Of the trail — its careless ways ; 
Not forget — you know the sign — 
Answer me, O pard of mine! 



229 



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